Sir Chris Hoy was first inspired to get on a bike at the age of six when he watched a certain iconic scene in the 1982 film ET The otherworldly.
His first set of wheels cost just £5 and was the start of an extraordinary journey to becoming one of Britain’s most decorated and loved Olympians.
The 47-year-old Scot announced on Friday that he is battling cancer and is undergoing chemotherapy, which is “fortunately going very well.”
“I’m feeling great at the moment – I’m continuing to work, cycle and live my life as normal,” Hoy added.
That will come as a major relief to the entire nation, which for years was impressed by Hoy’s mastery of the velodrome, where he won six Olympic gold medals and 11 world championships.
Six-time Olympic gold medalist Sir Chris Hoy has revealed he has cancer at the age of 47
Hoy pictured with his wife Sarra, a lawyer. They married in 2010 and have two children
Hoy raced BMX bikes as a child after his father bought his first bike for just £5
Hoy was inspired to take up cycling after seeing the 1982 Steven Spielberg film ET
Until Sir Jason Kenny overtook him, Hoy was the most successful British Olympian, eclipsing the five gold medals of the great rower Sir Steve Redgrave.
In recent years, Hoy has worked as an expert and commentator on the BBC’s cycling coverage.
It wasn’t so much the cycling through the air in Steven Spielberg’s film that captivated the young Hoy, but the cool BMX bikes involved.
“When they’re being chased by the police and they’re jumping and skidding around corners. It was the most exciting thing I had ever seen. That’s what I wanted to do,” he told The Guardian in 2020.
While the £110 Raleigh BMX bike he dreamed of was a little out of his parents’ price range, his dad bought a £5 bike at a flea market, took it off the shelf, spray-painted it black and stuck some BMX bikes on it. stickers on.
Within just a few years, Hoy was the second best BMX racer in Britain and ninth in the entire world.
Another eureka moment came when Scottish sprinter Eddie Alexander won bronze on the track at the 1986 Commonwealth Games in his hometown of Edinburgh.
While the sporty Hoy played rugby at school and even represented the Scottish Junior Rowing Team, cycling was his heart.
The Scot, 47, shared this post and announced the news to his 57,300 followers on Instagram
It quickly became clear that Hoy was a talented cyclist growing up in Edinburgh, Scotland
Within just a few years, Hoy was the second best BMX racer in Britain and ninth in the world.
When he joined his first cycling club, Dunedin CC, in 1990 at the age of 14, he switched focus from BMX racing to the track and was quickly noticed as a future medal contender.
Track sprint cycling requires explosive leg strength, endurance and tactical insight as you follow the slipstream of teammates.
It quickly became clear that Hoy was exceptional in every way. He took silver in the team sprint at the Track Cycling World Championships in Berlin in 1999 and also finished second at the Olympic Games in Sydney a year later.
British cycling was about to ride the crest of a wave, with Hoy, Kenny, Bradley Wiggins and Mark Cavendish dominating the track and road, making it the coolest pastime.
At the 2004 Olympic Games in Athens, with scars on his arms and legs from a crash in the athletes’ village a few days before his event, Hoy broke the world and Olympic time trial record in the 1 km and won gold.
When his specialist event, the Kilo, was removed from the 2008 Beijing Olympic programme, Hoy switched to the Keirin, where riders follow a small Derny bike for 5.5 laps before making a mad dash for the final 2, 5.
Sir Chris poses with his three Olympic gold medals at the 2008 Beijing Olympics
The Olympic legend hugs his mother Carol after she won gold in the individual sprint at the 2008 Beijing Olympics
Hoy poses with the Knighthood that he received from the Prince of Wales in 2009
The Scot poses next to his mother Carol Hoy at Buckingham Palace after he was knighted and she received an MBE
Not only did Hoy win gold in the Keirin, he also completed a stunning hat-trick by also winning the sprint and team sprint, showing off his all-round talent.
At the 2012 London Games, Hoy was chosen as Team GB’s flag bearer at the opening ceremony, before winning the team sprint goal alongside Kenny and Philip Hindes.
That equaled Redgrave’s gold medal record and victory in the Keirin a few days later took him past that.
It was sealed with a congratulatory hug from Redgrave and a kiss from his wife Sarra, an Edinburgh lawyer whom he married in Edinburgh in 2010.
‘I can’t put into words what it means to me. It’s one of the greatest feelings I’ve ever had,” an emotional Hoy told the BBC afterwards.
Unable to imagine how he could top that moment, Hoy retired from cycling the following year.
Sir Chris leads Team GB into the London Olympic Stadium for the opening ceremony in 2012
Sir Chris celebrates during the medal ceremony at the 2012 London Olympics
Hoy celebrates victory in the Keirin final at the 2012 London Olympics, his sixth gold
He switched to motor racing and competed in the British GT Championship and the 24 Hours of Le Mans.
Hoy has since delved into charity work, writing children’s books and caring for son Callum, nine, and daughter Chloe, six.
He shared the shocking news on social media, revealing that he had been diagnosed with cancer last year.
His full statement on Instagram read: “I have a bit of news. Last year I was diagnosed with cancer, which was a huge shock as I had had no symptoms until then.
‘I am currently being treated including chemotherapy, and fortunately it is going very well. I would like to express my sincere gratitude to all medical professionals for their wonderful help and care.
The Olympian pictured with his wife at an event in Monte Carlo in 2017
“For the sake of my young family, I had hoped to keep this information private, but unfortunately our hand has been forced. While I am grateful for all the support, I would like to handle this privately.
‘My heart goes out to the many others who are currently facing similar challenges. I am optimistic, positive and surrounded by love for which I am truly grateful.
‘As you might imagine, the last few months have been incredibly difficult. However, at the moment I feel fine: I continue to work, cycle and live my life as normal.
‘It is an exciting working year, not least the Olympic Games in Paris in July. I can’t wait to get started, have fun and share it with you all.”
