Olympic legend Sir Chris Hoy has spoken about his “unimaginable” year after being diagnosed with terminal cancer, but said he is responding well to treatment.
Hoy, 48, was given two to four years to live by doctors after being diagnosed with primary cancer in his prostate that later spread to his bones.
Earlier this year he revealed that he was being treated for an unspecified type of cancer and that he was “optimistic, positive and surrounded by love.”
But, speaking with Sunday weather In October, Hoy announced that his cancer had moved to stage 4 and that he had “knew it for over a year.”
Hoy, who won six Olympic gold medals in cycling between 2004 and 2012, believes he is now in good shape and is grateful for the great support.
'I'm fine. “I'm in the best shape I've been in over a year,” he said. Sky Sports News. “Physically I don't have any pain. The treatment has worked very well. Everything is stable. He couldn't have responded better to the treatment available.
Sir Chris Hoy spoke about his 'unimaginable' year after being diagnosed with terminal cancer (pictured: Hoy with wife Sarra at the BBC Sports Personality of the Year Awards)
Hoy, winner of six Olympic gold medals, was given between two and four years to live.
Speaking to Sky Sports News, he said he is in good spirits and responding well to treatment.
'In the current situation, the best case scenario.
'I am very grateful. It has been an unimaginable year. 18 months ago, if you had told me this was going to happen, you wouldn't have imagined it. That's life, right? You get curveballs. That's how you deal with it. You make a plan and move forward.
“I'm very lucky to have some really amazing people around me, from family, friends, medical support and the general public. They've really supported us and lifted our spirits.” “I feel very lucky in that sense.”
Hoy retired in 2013 and has since acted as a BBC pundit and commentator.
However, the father-of-two received the “biggest shock” of his life after tumors were discovered in his shoulder, pelvis, hip, spine and ribs.
He later made a brave public statement confirming his diagnosis.
“At first it's not easy,” he added. 'We tried to keep it private and keep it to ourselves for the first few weeks and months, just to understand the situation.
'At first we were forced because a journalist started snooping around and we had to announce that I had been diagnosed with cancer.
Hoy (pictured in 2012) revealed earlier this year that he was battling an unspecified type of cancer.
He received the 'biggest shock' of his life after multiple tumors were discovered.
Today (pictured with his father David in 2008) he is now determined to raise cancer awareness.
“At the time he was going through treatment, chemotherapy, but he was fine and I would explain more in due time. That was probably the hardest part: explaining the whole situation. It was a big step but we knew it was the right thing to do.
'I think there is almost no lack of speculation. You want to be sure the facts are available. The less you give, the more people will speculate and the more media outlets will meddle and perhaps offer false information.
“We thought, 'Let's get down to business and tell the story as it is.'
'Personally, one of the biggest motivators was that it means I can do something positive, which is organize a charity event next year. Then you have a purpose.
“For me now, this is my purpose.”
Today and his wife Sarra share two children, Callum and Chloe, who were nine and six years old respectively when they found out about their father's illness.
Now dedicated to an annual charity bike ride, the 'Tour of 4', to raise funds for cancer patients, Hoy aims to get 'as many people affected by cancer as possible' to cycle from Glasgow to Edinburgh every summer.
“Stage 4 is not just the end of your life,” he said. “There is more to live.”