Sir Chris Hoy's wife hit by devastating news after his own terminal cancer diagnosis

Sir Chris Hoy has endured more in the last few months than anyone should have to cope with in a lifetime.

The Olympic hero, aged 48, announced last month that he has terminal cancer and that he has been told he has between two and four years to live.

He told the Sunday Times just over two weeks ago: “As unnatural as it feels, this is nature... you know, we were all born and we all die, and this is just part of the process.

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“You remind yourself, aren’t I lucky that there is medicine I can take that will fend this off for as long as possible.”

A tumour was found on the cyclist's shoulder and a scan found primary cancer in his prostate, which had metastasised to his bones.

He was told it was incurable, but even after that devastating news yet more heartbreak was to come for Sir Chris and his family.

Just days later, news emerged that his wife Sarra had also been diagnosed with an aggressive form of MS the year before.

In an extract from his book, shared with the Times, Sir Chris wrote: "Another scan just before Christmas confirmed that Sarra had 'very active and aggressive' MS and needed urgent treatment.

"It's the closest I've come to, like, you know, why me? Just, what? What's going on here? It didn't seem real. It was such a huge blow, when you're already reeling. You think nothing could possibly get worse. You literally feel like you're at rock bottom, and you find out, oh no, you've got further to fall. It was brutal."

In the wake of the shattering news, the family decided to leave the country to take some time away from the media spotlight.

In the days after the public announcement, Sarra posted on Instagram to say thank you to all the well wishers who had been in touch.

"Completely overwhelmed by your kind, thoughtful and helpful messages," she wrote, adding that while many were unsure of what to say, simply reaching out was already bringing her and her family comfort. "Many people say they don't know what to say - that's OK, you don't need to have the words - just taking the time to message has been like a soothing balm to the soul," she said. "Thank you.

"I've been told that men seeking advice about prostate cancer is up seven fold and that Chris's story is likely to save countless lives. This takes my breath away.

"Life is wonderful. We are excited about the future. We have so many more adventures planned.... And I am so fortunate to get to do it all with @chrishoy1 - the most incredible person I've ever met. Watching him on the BBC at the weekend was like watching a masterclass in strength of character, dignity and humility. I've said it before and I'll say it again - he truly is my real life superhero."

Sir Chris is set to talk more about his diagnosis and journey in a special programme on BBC One on Tuesday night.

"It's been the toughest year of our lives so far by some stretch," he told the BBC.

"Maybe people seeing this or hearing about my story - just by them asking their GP - will create enough of a surge of interest that people that make the decisions will go 'you know what, we need to address this'. And in the long term this will save potentially millions of lives."

He added: "I know what the end result will be. Nobody lives forever. Our time on this planet is finite. Don't waste your time worrying about stuff that isn't that important. Focus on the things that are.

"My perspective on life has changed massively. I am more thankful, I'm more grateful for each day. It's been a tough year and it's going to be tough ahead in the future too but for now, right here right now, we're doing pretty well."

The full interview - Sir Chris Hoy: Finding Hope - will be shown on BBC One at 8pm on Tuesday, November 5.