Sir Chris Hoy has spoken candidly about his ongoing battle with prostate cancer, revealing his treatment continues to have a positive effect while urging that it should not fall to celebrities alone to push men towards testing.
The cycling legend was diagnosed with stage four prostate cancer nearly three years ago, and since then, he has made it his mission to ensure other men do not face the same late diagnosis he did. From founding his own charity cycling event to appearing on national television, Sir Chris has used every platform available to him to shift the conversation around the disease.
Treatment Update
Speaking to BBC Breakfast presenter Jane Lewis, the 48-year-old was open about where things stand medically. "I am doing really well just now," he said. "My wife and I talk about it a lot and remind ourselves how lucky we are that we both have illnesses which are treatable."
He was careful to acknowledge that his experience is not universal. "Mine's not curable, but it's treatable, and not every man is as lucky as me in terms of the reaction to the treatment. Some don't have such a positive reaction. So far, I've had a really positive reaction to it."
Awareness and Charity Work
While Sir Chris remains hopeful about the treatment he is receiving, he is clear-eyed about the road ahead. "Long may that continue," he said. "It won't last forever, but there are other lines of defence, and beyond that, the hope is that new medicines and new treatments are coming out all the time. You can spend your time sitting, worrying about the future, but that doesn't help you in any shape or form. Once you've faced it and planned for it, you have to get into the present and appreciate it, and know that anything could happen at any time."
That determination to stay present is also what drives his awareness work. Sir Chris recently returned to Scotland on his bicycle to lead participants in the charity cycling event he set up in the wake of his diagnosis, an initiative designed to unite those affected by cancer while raising vital funds.
"The aim is to try and change the perception of what the late stage of cancer can be," he explained, "and to raise vital funds for cancer charities across the UK, but also to bring together people who are in a similar situation to me, bring together families, people remembering loved ones. It's really a celebration."
Call for Screening Programme
Beyond the cycling event, Sir Chris has been a consistent and prominent voice in calling for a formal, nationwide prostate cancer screening programme.
He argues that awareness should not rely on the goodwill of well-known faces, and expressed frustration that systemic change has yet to follow the public conversation.
"I don't think it should be up to me or other people in the spotlight to do it," he told Lewis. "There should be a more systematic and proactive approach to let men know about their own risk."
He added: "I would still be doing this even if there was a screening process in place, but it shouldn't just be down to high-profile individuals like Jeremy Clarkson, myself, or any number of men in similar situations."
Sir Chris acknowledged the privilege that comes with his public profile, but was firm that the burden of educating men about prostate cancer should not rest on the shoulders of those who happen to be famous enough to command attention.
BBC Breakfast airs daily at 6am on BBC One.
