Great Britain's Chris Hoy, the celebrated cyclist, marked his victory in the men's keirin final at the London 2012 Olympic Games with a jubilant celebration at the Velodrome in East London on August 7, 2012. — AFP file
In a somber revelation on Saturday, six-time Olympic cycling champion Chris Hoy disclosed that he is battling terminal cancer and has been given a prognosis of 'two to four years' to live by his doctors. The 48-year-old, who announced his cancer diagnosis in February and was undergoing chemotherapy, now admits that he knew from the outset that his illness was terminal.
Hoy shared with The Sunday Times that when he inquired about his remaining time, he was informed: 'Two to four years.' Reflecting on his situation, Hoy said, 'We were all born and we all die, and this is just part of the process.' He added, 'You remind yourself, aren't I lucky that there is medicine I can take that will fend this off for as long as possible. But most of the battle for me with cancer hasn't been physical. For me, it has been in my head.'
Initially dismissing the pain in his shoulder as a gym-related injury, Hoy's condition was only discovered when a scan revealed a tumor. Further scans uncovered primary cancer in his prostate, which had metastasized to his shoulder, pelvis, hip, spine, and ribs. 'And just like that,' Hoy said, 'I learn how I will die.'
Adding to his family's challenges, Hoy's wife, Sarra, has been diagnosed with multiple sclerosis. '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,' Hoy described.
British Prime Minister Keir Starmer and fellow athletes, including Mark Cavendish and Ally McCoist, have expressed their support for Hoy, praising his resilience and courage.
Hoy, a father of two, began his track cycling journey as a teenager and amassed an impressive collection of Olympic medals, including a team sprint silver at the 2000 Sydney Games, a one-kilometre time-trial gold in Athens in 2004, and further golds in Beijing 2008 and London 2012. He also secured 11 world titles before retiring from competitive cycling in 2013.
In his interview with The Sunday Times, Hoy concluded, 'As unnatural as it feels, this is nature. A lot of deaths are sudden, leaving no chance to say goodbyes or make peace with everything. But I've been given enough time.'
Source link: https://www.khaleejtimes.com
