Chris Hoy hopes to 'change perspective' of living with stage four cancer

Jess Bacon
·Contributor
·3-min read
Sir Chris Hoy has urged the public to change their perspective on receiving a stage four cancer diagnosis. (BBC)
Sir Chris Hoy has urged the public to change their perspective on receiving a stage four cancer diagnosis. (BBC)

Sir Chris Hoy has said he wants to "change the perspective of stage four cancer" in his BBC documentary, Chris Hoy: Finding Hope.

The Olympic Gold medallist was diagnosed with stage four prostate cancer in October 2023, after struggling with some shoulder and rib pain.

In his first TV interview since his terminal diagnosis, the cyclist shared that he was organising a charity bike ride next year called 'Tour de Four' and he hopes people with stage four cancer will take part or be there at the end of the event. He wanted to show people that you can still be "happy and healthy" while living with a terminal illness.

Speaking about the ride to interviewer Sally Nugent, Chris said: "It’s going to be a celebration and it’s to try and change the perspective of stage four cancers and make people realise and do you know what? This is stage four cancer right now, many people can still have very full happy and healthy lives dealing with it."

The Olympic gold medal winner spoke of the impact his diagnosis has had. (BBC)
The Olympic gold medal winner spoke of the impact his diagnosis has had. (BBC)

Cancer diagnoses are given in stages to describe the size of the cancer and how far it has grown or spread in the body, according to Cancer Research UK. Each stage determines the level of treatment you’ll need in response to how big and aggressive the cancer is.

Stage four is the most aggressive and largest stage, which Cancer Research UK explains means "the cancer has spread from where it started to another body organ. This is also called secondary or metastatic cancer."

Since his own diagnosis, Chris revealed he's spoken to others living with stage four diagnoses and encouraged them to find hope that after treatment you can still "live a full life."

"You know if someone is watching this right now who has just had a horrendous diagnosis like me, to sort of look and think 'well blimey, I didn’t think you could look like that or still be living a full life a year on from getting that diagnosis'. Well I’m not the only one. I’m not saying everyone’s in the same boat, but there’s hope out there," he continued.

"Look at me now, six months on from finishing chemo and I’m riding my bike everyday, I’m in the gym, I’m physically active, I’m not in pain. It’s done it’s job for now, it’s pushed back all the nasty stuff is depleted, and it was more than worth it."

Chris wants to show that the image we have when we hear the words terminal illness or terminal cancer, aren’t always accurate.

"Everybody’s is different and not everybody is given the time that I’ve been given," he added. "That’s why I feel lucky, I genuinely feel lucky as crazy as that may sound as we’ve got the time."

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