Hang on tight: Chris Hoy’s message to cancer sufferers before charity bike ride

Sir Chris Hoy has encouraged people who have recently been diagnosed with cancer to “hang on tight” and stay positive.

The retired champion track cyclist, who was once Scotland’s most successful Olympian, was diagnosed with stage 4 prostate cancer in 2023, and is calling on men in a similar position to keep active to improve their quality of life.

Sir Chris, 49, who was told in 2024 that he had between two and four years left to live, spoke of how the initial diagnosis is “really bad”, and that many people doubt things will ever get better.

On Saturday, Sir Chris spoke at a press conference at PureGym in Rutherglen, near Glasgow, as he launched a fitness partnership between the gym, the Institute of Cancer Research, and the Royal Marsden NHS Foundation Trust.

The partnership means men with late-stage prostate cancer who are on hormone therapy may receive a free, one-year membership with the gym, with access to training plans and other support.

He was joined by Professor Nick James, who specialises in prostate cancer; Christine Lote, who lost her leg due to a rare form of bone cancer; and Clive Chesser, chief executive of PureGym.

Hormone therapy can come with a number of troublesome side effects, including fat gain, muscle loss, reduced bone density, fatigue and mental health problems, all of which can be alleviated with exercise.

It comes ahead of Sir Chris’s Tour De 4 charity bike ride, which takes place at his velodrome named after him in Glasgow on Sunday.

At a press conference, Sir Chris told of the initial days following his diagnosis, where he admitted he did not think he would ever be happy again, but thanks to the passage of time, as well as support from his loved ones, those days are now gone.

In a message to those who are in the same position he found himself in back in 2023, Sir Chris said: “It doesn’t stay that way forever, and you can get through it. You can’t imagine you’ll get through it but you will, and it’s down to the people around you.

“When it’s really bad, you’re not looking too far into the future, It’s just about getting through the next minute, the next few seconds, those really difficult moments, it’s literally almost second to second, and then it becomes minute to minute, hour to hour, day to day.

“I remember the early days and the first few weeks, where I had the first few minutes where I wasn’t thinking about it, you sort of get distracted by something, and then you come back and snap back into it.

“And then those periods get longer and longer and before you know it, it’s just a part of your life and you don’t have to be defined by it.”

He added: “So to anybody who is going through a similar thing, just hang on tight. You’ll get through it, it’ll get easier. It seems like the worst thing in the world right now, but you can, you can do it.”

Christine Lote found out she had a form of stage four bone cancer on her daughter’s third birthday in 2022.

Despite several hurdles the illness has thrown at her, including having her leg amputated, she remains cheerful and has kept fit.

She said: “There are two things. Number one, don’t refer to Dr Google, it does not help with prognosis or timeframes, and I think it’s really important to have trust in your medical team.

“I’m fortunate enough that I feel well-looked after by my team. If you don’t feel like you’re getting the level of medical care you need, seek a second opinion.”

Advanced prostate cancer affects about 20,000 men in the UK every year.

A number of routes are available at the Tour de 4, including a 92 kilometre (57 miles) option, a 60 kilometre (37 miles) option, and a one kilometre, family-friendly route.

The event aims to raise about £1 million, and so far more than £100,000 has been raised.

It will take place on Sunday, starting and finishing at the Sir Chris Hoy Velodrome in Glasgow.

The event is open to all abilities and aims to challenge perceptions and inspire hope for those affected by cancer.