Cycling legend Sir Chris Hoy has thanked the public for their kindness and support after receiving a tidal wave of good wishes following news he has stage four cancer.
Sir Chris revealed five days ago that he had a terminal cancer diagnosis and had been given two to four years to live. The 48-year-old cycling legend confirmed in February that he had begun undergoing chemotherapy, but it was not successful in halting its spread.
The Scot is one of Team GB’s greatest ever athletes, having won six gold medals and one silver medal over the 2000, 2004, 2008 and 2012 Olympic Games. He worked for the BBC as a pundit at the Paris Games over the summer and is maintaining a positive outlook on his health.
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After covering the World Track Cycling Championships with the BBC in Copenhagen, he has now gone on holiday with his wife Sarra, who herself is fighting an aggressive form of multiple sclerosis, and their children Callum and Chloe to try and process the news.
In a video on Instagram, Hoy said he had been blown away by the reaction to his news and revealed he has written a book about his experience, reports The Mirror.
“I just wanted to share an update about my health after telling you I was receiving treatment for cancer,” he said. “I’m so grateful to everyone for their incredible kindness and support. You may have heard by now that I’m ready to share that my cancer is stage four: I will be living with it for the rest of my life.
“Now, it’s not the news that anyone imagines hearing, and it obviously came as a huge shock. We’ve taken time to process it as a family and I now have a deep resolve to turn this incredibly difficult diagnosis into something more positive that can help, not just me, but anyone anywhere living with stage four.
“I’m talking to you now because, amidst it all, I’ve made the decision to write it all in a book. You might wonder why I’d take on writing a book during such a challenging time. It’s been cathartic and it’s a very important part of how I’ve been able to process this news with my family and for myself over the past few months.
“I wanted to share this in the hope that it might help others in challenging situations too. The book is called All That Matters and I hope it can provide, not only an insight into how a family deals with a diagnosis like mine but also remind us that all we have is now: not the past, not the future, but where we are in this moment.
“It’s about hope, how I lost it after the diagnosis and how I found it again. I will also give you a view into what my life has been like since retiring from professional cycling.”
In her own message on social media, Sarra said the couple had been heartened by reports that men seeking advice about prostate cancer had risen seven fold over the past few days.
