Sir Chris Hoy’s Cancer Diagnosis

Sir Chris Hoy, six-time Olympic track cycling champion, first announced that he was diagnosed with prostate cancer in September 2023. In October 2024, he further revealed that he had actually been diagnosed with terminal prostate cancer and only has a few years left to live.

Born and raised in Scotland, Hoy is a multiple world and Olympic track cyclist. Throughout his career, he has won six Olympic titles, 11 world titles and two Commonwealth titles. His career peaked in 2012, when he won a double Gold during the 2012 London Olympics. This made him the most decorated British Olympian of all time, before his record was broken in 2020. He was also knighted by Queen Elizabeth in the 2009 New Year Honours List.

Hoy retired from competitive cycling in 2013. However, cycling remained an integral part of his life as he ventured into the cycling business. He also wrote a series of children’s books about cycling, titled ‘Flying Fergus’.

Prior to his diagnosis, Hoy noticed that he had a pain in his shoulder but he shrugged it off as "a sign of getting older”. However, initial checks showed that he had a tumor in his shoulder. Following the initial diagnosis, it was found that the tumor was caused by prostate cancer which had metastasized to his bones. He also had tumors in his hip, pelvis, spine and rib.

Hoy was diagnosed with terminal stage 4 prostate cancer and given a prognosis of two to four years. Prostate cancer is one of the most common cancers in men. It has a better prognosis when caught early. Hence, early detection is key in treating the disease.

Despite having received a terminal diagnosis, Hoy tried to remain as positive as he could. He shared, “I’m feeling ok, yes. The hard part is the initial diagnosis, I think, and getting to terms with that, and then getting your head around it. Then it’s about making the most of life.”

He added that his diagnosis has made him more appreciative of life. He shared in an interview with Times, “You’re faced with your mortality a lot younger than you would normally expect, and I think that in some ways it’s actually really good, because you start to appreciate the smaller things. You bring yourself back to the present more. You stop thinking about the future as much and worrying about small stuff and silly stuff.”

After being diagnosed with cancer, Hoy has been actively raising awareness about prostate cancer. He encourages men to undergo screening for prostate cancer and shares about his cancer through public conversations or by attending fundraising campaigns. He also appeared in a documentary titled ‘Sir Chris Hoy: Cancer, Courage and Me’, where he shared his story and how being an athlete has helped him in his cancer journey.