Decorated British Olympic cyclist Sir Chris Hoy has disclosed his terminal cancer diagnosis while simultaneously addressing his wife’s battle with multiple sclerosis. The 48-year-old athlete shared his story with The Times, documenting his experience in an upcoming memoir titled All That Matters: My Toughest Race Yet.
Hoy’s journey began in September 2023 with shoulder pain, which he initially dismissed. “I’m just getting a bit old for lifting heavy weights,” he recalled thinking. Medical examination revealed a tumor in his shoulder, with subsequent scans detecting additional tumors in his pelvis, hip, spine, and rib. Following the discovery, he wrote, “And just like that, I learn how I will die.”
Videos by PopCulture.com
In a candid interview with the BBC, Hoy described the shocking diagnosis: “I had no symptoms, no warning. Absolutely nothing. The only thing I felt was some pain in my shoulder and ribs. I thought it was probably due to the gym. It was the biggest shock of my life. I can still remember the feeling. I walked back home in a daze. I just couldn’t believe it, let alone place it.”
The seven-time Olympic medalist, who announced his retirement in April 2023 before his diagnosis, was informed he had two to four years to live. Compounding the situation, his wife Sarra received a diagnosis of “very active and aggressive” MS in November 2023, waiting until December to inform her husband.
“It’s the closest I’ve come to, like, you know, why me? Just, what? What’s going on here? It didn’t seem real,” Hoy shared with The Times. “It was such a huge blow, when you’re already reeling. You think nothing could possibly get worse. You literally feel like you’re at rock bottom, and you find out, oh no, you’ve got further to fall. It was brutal.”
Despite these challenges, the couple, who married in 2010 and parent two children—Callum, 9, and Chloe, 6—maintain an optimistic outlook. “She says all the time, ‘How lucky are we? We both have incurable illnesses for which there is some treatment. Not every disease has that. It could be a lot worse,’” Hoy revealed.
Reflecting on his chemotherapy experience, he told the BBC: “The chemo sessions were truly hell. I was not ready for such torture. During a session, I did not have those two hours in mind, but one minute. Then I looked at the seconds on the clock. If I could hold out for one minute, the next one would also work. It is only in such a situation that you discover how strong a person can be. What you are capable of.”
The experience has altered Hoy’s perspective on his athletic achievements: “Then you also immediately put cycling into perspective. ‘My God, that was actually just some fun,’ you realize. The stakes are much higher now. At the moments when I was riding for Olympic gold, it felt like life and death. But that is really the case now.”
Hoy aims to reshape perceptions about his condition, stating to The Times, “Stage 4’s not just, right, this is the end of your life. There’s more to be lived.” He expressed hope about his forthcoming book: “There’s so much positivity that can come out of this from all angles. I’m just really excited that this book hopefully will be able to help people.”
