Olympic champion track cyclist Chris Hoy has announced that he has cancer and is undergoing chemotherapy.
The six-time gold medalist told fans on his Instagram account that he had originally wanted to keep his diagnosis private, but said he was forced to do so.
He added that he was receiving treatment and remained optimistic about the coming months.
“I have some news,” he said in a statement. “Last year, I was diagnosed with cancer, which was a huge blow because I didn’t have any symptoms at the time.
“I am currently undergoing treatment, including chemotherapy, which is thankfully going very well. I would like to express my sincere gratitude to all the medical professionals for their overwhelming help and care.
“I would have preferred to keep this information private for the sake of my young family, but unfortunately we are forced to do so. While I appreciate everyone’s support, I would like to deal with this issue privately.”
Hoy said the last few months since diagnosis had been “very difficult”.
“My heart goes out to the many others who are going through similar challenges right now,” he said.
“I am optimistic, positive, surrounded by love, and I am deeply grateful for that. As you can probably imagine, the past few months have been very difficult.
“However, I feel fine at the moment – I continue to work, ride my bike and live a normal life.
“It’s an exciting year, especially with the Paris Olympics in July. I can’t wait to get in there, have fun and share it with everyone.”
The Scottish Association for Mental Health (SAMH) charity paid tribute to Hoy on Friday evening after learning of the news. He has been an ambassador for the charity since 2009.
Billy Watson, chief executive of SAMH, said: “We are extremely proud to have Sir Chris as our long-term ambassador and would like to express our heartfelt support to Chris and his family.
“We know Chris’s commitment to mental health remains as strong as ever and we look forward to working with him in the period ahead.”
In addition to six Olympic gold medals and one silver medal, Hoy was an 11-time world champion.
For nine years, from 2012 to 2021, he was Britain’s most decorated Olympian and the most successful Olympic cyclist of all time.
Hoy’s 17 global titles in four disciplines have ensured that he is recognized as the most successful track cyclist of all time.
PA Media contributed to this report
