Sir Chris Hoy back on track with positive update after cancer battle: ‘Can’t believe where I’m at now’

The cycling world was left reeling in February last year when track legend Sir Chris Hoy revealed he had been diagnosed with cancer. The 49-year-old Brit later shared in 2024 that his illness was terminal, sparking a massive wave of awareness around prostate cancer. Recently, the Scot shared a positive update on how he’s doing.

“I’ve got some news,” wrote the Edinburgh-born former rider in an open letter on Instagram back in February 2024. “Last year, I was diagnosed with cancer. It came as a huge shock, especially since I had shown no symptoms up to that point,” said the six-time Olympic champion, who claimed golds in events like the keirin, kilo, team sprint and individual sprint.

“I’m currently undergoing treatment, including chemotherapy,” Hoy continued. “Fortunately, things are going well, and I want to thank the entire medical team for their incredible support and care. Because of my young family, I had hoped to keep this private, but sadly we were forced to share the news.”

Eight months later, by October 2024, he revealed that he had already known for some time that the illness was terminal. To make things even tougher, he also shared that his wife Sarra is battling an aggressive form of multiple sclerosis (MS).

Despite the tough road behind him, the Brit had an uplifting and hopeful update to share in an interview with Sky Sports. “I’m currently in a kind of stable phase. I feel good, I’m training, I’m riding my bike, I’m keeping busy and more importantly, cancer isn’t the first thing I think about when I wake up or the last thing on my mind when I go to bed. I feel good, I’m on constant medication, I’m constantly being treated but it doesn’t disrupt my life too much. And the most important thing is that it’s working. So right now, I’m stable. Everything’s going well.”

Hoy also looked back on the moment he went public with his diagnosis. He hadn’t really considered the potential impact it might have. “But when you hear people say or speak to people who tell you they got a PSA test because of your story, that they went in despite having zero symptoms, got checked and found out they had cancer too but it was caught early enough to treat and cure, it gives real meaning to my situation.”

After publicly sharing that his cancer was terminal, awareness around prostate cancer surged across the UK. Even now, Hoy sees just how powerful that impact has been. “It lifts you up. It gives you hope, it gives you purpose. I can’t believe the position I’m in now compared to 18 months ago. I never imagined I’d reach this point where I’m truly living again and not just living, but appreciating it more than ever. Being able to enjoy the small things.”

The Scot is keen to pass on a life lesson from the experience. “It’s not just about ticking off big bucket list items. It’s about appreciating the everyday things in life, the little moments that can be truly amazing but that we often overlook when we’re stuck on the treadmill of what’s next, what’s tomorrow. Forget tomorrow for a moment. Enjoy today.”