Sir Chris Hoy has opened up about his 'bombshell' cancer diagnosis and said he never thought he'd be able to listen to music or laugh at a joke ever again after hearing his prognosis.
The six-time Olympic gold medalist said he was 'floored' by the unexpected news and found so much of life was a 'trigger' to him - such as TV and films which he said are often centred around parents dying. The 48 year old father said however he has managed to find 'hope' in the darkness - a position he didn't think he'd be in six months ago.
Hoy told the RHLSTP podcast that his only symptom of prostate cancer was a pain in his shoulder which had been there 'for a short while'. "I just thought it was part of getting older, the aches and pains," he said. "I was used to pushing through pain in my cycling career so this was nothing new, but what was different about it was it didn't go away.
"It got to the point where I couldn't actually lift my arm up, it was that sore. I went to the physio and they suggested a scan after doing various things that didn't work. The scan showed a tumour on my shoulder and it was the last thing I was expecting." The former British cyclist said he had 'no other symptoms' and was still fit and healthy.
"This hit me like an absolute bombshell," he continued. "I was completely floored by it. We then went through a multitude of scans and various things to find out the root of the cause and it turns out it was stage four prostate cancer.”
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PA)Hoy said hearing the diagnosis in September 2023 was the 'news nobody ever wants to hear'. "It was absolutely horrific, there's no two ways about it," he continued. "I never thought I would ever feel joy or happiness or just be able to listen to music or laugh at a joke or anything.
"In that moment, I was like, well, this is it for the rest of my life, my life has changed forever. But I hope, as you can see, I look at photos of myself a year ago, and I think, I'm a different person now." The Olympian said he still has 'difficult days' full of the 'worries and fears and thoughts' - but admitted he has been able to find 'hope from the darkness'.
Hoy said he has used all the 'tricks of the trade' from his sporting career to deal with the devastating prognosis of two to four years. "Music was really difficult," he said. "When you're in that first stage of diagnosis and the fear is there and the terror and the emotions are high, I couldn't listen to music.
"Anything that was, you know, you look at a slightly sentimental advert on TV or anything, it was such a trigger. Anything with kids and family - have you ever noticed how many kids' films are about parents dying? You know, you can't watch Bambi, you can't, it's all like, oh, no, this is it, you've done it again."
Hoy said he couldn't imagine that six months ago he'd be in the 'strong' mental position he is in now. He retold a story of a family trip to Phuket, Thailand, which took place after four solid months of treatment, where he attempted to cycle up a hill. The athlete said he was 'still active' at this point and would cycle for half an hour a day on an indoor bike at home.
"I really struggled and I went out for that first ride, stupidly thinking I'll ride up to the big Buddha on top of the hill and see what it's like up there," he said. And I got halfway up the hill and I had to turn around, I had to stop - and I've never done that in my whole life. "I've never quit on a hill before."
Hoy said this was 'such a symbolic thing' for him and he spent the rest of the two weeks break 'building up to having another go'. He said after attempting the hill again, following a different route, he was able to cycle up and said this was a 'great metaphor for life'. "I was there at like 7am, elated and you know the scene in Rocky when he's on the steps, hands in the air, punching the air, no one else around," he added.
The athlete spoke about losing friends 'suddenly' over recent years. He said: "You see the effect it has on family, on close friends, the people around them that they didn't have that luxury to be able to tell them what they think of them, tell them they love them, to get the house in order, to do all the stuff that, you know, that we kind of, we should all be doing. It's not whether you've got a terminal diagnosis, tell your partner and tell your friends you love them.
"You know, guys don't tell other guys they love them, but do. You know, it's people that matter to yo, tell them what you think of them." He continued: "None of us are here forever, and the little things that we worry about, the stupid stuff that we stress about, that most of it never even happens, but even if it does, you can deal with it, you can get through it, and it's most of the time never as bad as you think it's going to be.
"And that was a wake up call." The athlete said the 'statistics' of people outliving their prognosis are there and said while he is not 'delusional' - he has hope.
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