The wife of Olympic cycling champion Sir Chris Hoy has shared the devastating moment their two young children learned of their father's terminal cancer diagnosis, revealing they blamed themselves for his illness.
A Family's Double Health Blow
The sporting icon, 49, received the crushing news he had cancer in September 2023 after visiting a doctor about pain in his shoulder and ribs. He kept the diagnosis private for a year, only going public around the time he discovered the disease had spread to his bones and become terminal.
In a further cruel twist, his wife, Lady Sarra Hoy, was herself diagnosed with Multiple Sclerosis (MS) in October 2023, less than a month after her husband's news. She sought medical advice after experiencing tingling in her tongue and face.
Heartbreaking Questions from Their Children
The couple, who share 11-year-old son Callum and eight-year-old daughter Chloe Rose, have now spoken openly about the immense challenges of the past few years. Speaking to the BBC, Lady Sarra described their children's frightened and confused reaction.
'They were scared, they had heard about cancer,' she said. 'Questions come very quickly: will he die? Will I catch it? Did I cause it? Is it because I was naughty?'
She explained her determination to normalise the situation, stating: 'I wanted to make cancer and chemotherapy part of our lives.'
Living Life to the Fullest Despite Adversity
The family's journey is the subject of a new documentary, 'Sir Chris Hoy: Cancer, Courage and Me'. Reflecting on the dual health crises, Hoy described it as a 'double whammy' but emphasised the importance of resilience.
'It's not forgetting to enjoy the moment and to make the most of every day,' he said. True to his word, Hoy has continued riding bikes, a passion he describes as doing 'what he loves'.
This year, however, he suffered a serious setback, breaking his leg in what he called the 'worst crash' of his 43-year riding career. 'I'm pretty lucky that's the worst one I've had in all those years of riding,' he told Sky Sports, adding that he is recovering but still on crutches.
A Stable Condition and Hope for the Future
Despite the terminal prognosis, Hoy offered a positive update on his health, revealing his condition is currently 'stable' thanks to successful treatment.
'Once you've got past the diagnosis... you start the treatment,' he explained. 'Then, if you're lucky like me, you respond to the treatment and enter a period of kind of stability.'
He expressed faith in medical science, noting that for prostate cancer patients like himself, there are multiple treatment options available. 'I'm putting faith in science... with the hope that one day it won't be a terminal diagnosis,' he stated. 'But I'm doing fine.'
