Chris Hoy, Olympic Cyclist Who Won 6 Gold Medals, Says His Cancer Is Terminal

Six-time Olympic gold medalist Chris Hoy has announced that his cancer is terminal.

The 48-year-old cyclist revealed in an interview with The Sunday Times published on Sunday, Oct. 20, that he has been given two to four years to live after initially revealing his diagnosis with the disease earlier this year.

Hoy — who has been honored with the MBE (Most Excellent Order of the British Empire) designation in the U.K. — told the Times that he had initially gone to the hospital in September 2023 after experiencing shoulder pain and was advised to undergo a scan.

“I’m really sorry,” Hoy recalled the doctor telling him, per the outlet. “There’s a tumor in your shoulder.”

Another scan revealed that he had stage 4 cancer in his prostate that had spread to his bones, and he had tumors in his shoulder, pelvis, hip, spine and rib.

Hoy — who has served as a commentator for the BBC and is currently covering the Track Cycling World Championships in Copenhagen since retiring after the London 2012 games — immediately began treatment, including chemotherapy, and returned to his role on TV by July, he told the Times.

Additionally, just weeks before Hoy learned about his cancer, his wife Sarra was diagnosed with “very active and aggressive” multiple sclerosis, he told the outlet.

“As unnatural as it feels, this is nature," Hoy said to the Times about his reflections on death — many of which he said leave “no chance to say goodbyes or make peace with everything. But I’ve been given enough time.”

"You know, we were all born and we all die, and this is just part of the process,” he added.

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Hoy also told the publication that he first decided to share the news of his diagnosis on Instagram in February this year — but opted not to disclose to the public that he was terminal.

“I’m currently receiving treatment, including chemotherapy, which is thankfully going really well,” he wrote on Instagram at the time. “I’m optimistic, positive … I currently feel fine. I am continuing to work, ride my bike and live my life as normal.”

The Olympian made his debut at the 2000 Sydney games, where he won a silver in the men’s team sprint event. His first gold medal came in 2004 in Athens for the men’s 1,000m time trial.

He later took home three different medals at the 2008 Beijing Olympics for three different events, and in London in 2012, he won two gold medals, making him Britain's most decorated Olympian, though cyclist Jason Kenny later surpassed him.

Many of Hoy's supporters have spoken out on social media following his cancer news, including Prime Minister Keir Starmer, who wrote in a post on X (formerly Twitter) that it was "such sad news."

"Chris is a British sporting legend," the politician added. "To face his diagnosis with such positivity is inspiring. The whole country is behind him and his family."

For the athlete — who is a father of two — his diagnosis served as an opportunity to reflect on his life and what truly makes him happy.

“... Hand on heart, I’m pretty positive most of the time and I have genuine happiness. This is bigger than the Olympics. It’s bigger than anything," he said elsewhere in his interview with the Times. "This is about appreciating life and finding joy.”