After winning 6 Olympic gold medals, Sir Chris Hoy decided to retire from competitive cycling in 2013 at the age of 37. Even then, he already had plans for life after sport, thinking about mentoring younger riders. Later, he became a BBC pundit, regularly attending big cycling events. Life changed in 2023 when he was diagnosed with stage four prostate cancer, which had already spread throughout his body. Despite this, the 50-year-old cyclist has not slowed down and shared his vision for the future.

Speaking in Glasgow ahead of his charity cycling event, Tour de 4, which he founded and will host on September 6, he explained the idea behind it was to create a ride to support people affected by cancer. “It’s trying to demonstrate, rather than just talking about it, that all these people who are in a similar situation to me – living with stage four cancer – there’s plenty of life left in us, and we’re determined to make the most of it, and not have cancer define who you are,” he said.

For Hoy, this comes from lived experience with cancer! It began as shoulder pain in 2023 that proved much more serious. A scan found a tumour, which was followed by further tests that confirmed the presence of prostate cancer that had spread to his bones, including the spine, ribs, hip, and pelvis. It was only in early 2024 that the diagnosis was released and later confirmed to be stage four.

Even with the shock of it, he has focused on how he lives each day and helping with the Tour de 4  charity. That mindset has now become a driving force for him following his diagnosis.

“You don’t have to be facing a stage four cancer diagnosis to have tough moments,” Sir Chris said. The Tour de 4 event itself has grown into a major fundraising effort, raising over £3.1 million in its inaugural year in 2025, supporting five UK cancer charities and challenging perceptions around life with stage four cancer.

Even after doctors told him he may have between two and four years to live. In the process, though, he says his life has been given new meaning, and that has given him hope and perspective.

He said, “Don’t forget to enjoy the moment and don’t forget to appreciate the present, because it passes you by very easily.” “You’re always on to the next thing and focused on what’s next and you can miss out on the nice stuff around you – and it’s not necessarily the big things.”

He continued: “We have big targets and big events to look forward to, of course, but I think it’s also appreciating the small things that helps you to stay grounded, and to make the most out of the present moment.” Looking ahead to this year’s event, Hoy said interest has been strong, with the main rides already sold out. However, spots remain for static bike sessions in the track centre and a 1km family loop inside the velodrome complex.

Even while focusing on community work and life beyond sport, Sir Chris Hoy’s achievements remain some of the most celebrated in British Olympic history.

Sir Chris Hoy’s life tested him back to back

Sir Chris Hoy is considered one of Britain’s most successful Olympians ever, having claimed six gold medals, 11 world championship medals, and one silver at the Olympic Games over his career. He ruled track cycling in several Games, notably the keirin, the sprint, the team sprint, and the kilo.

The highlight of his career was the Beijing Olympics in 2008, where he won three gold medals in one Olympics. That was the first time in over a century that a Brit had broken that barrier.  After retiring from competition, Hoy later faced a very different battle when he was diagnosed with prostate cancer. But even after that diagnosis, life continued to test him in other ways.

In 2025, he suffered a serious mountain biking crash, breaking his leg in what he described as the worst accident he had had in decades of riding. He said, “I’ve smashed my leg up, that’s the worst thing that’s happened recently. You just don’t bounce like you do when you’re younger…It was a big one. I’m doing better now… I’ve been riding bikes for 43 years, and it’s the worst crash I’ve ever had. I’m pretty lucky that’s the worst one I’ve had in all those years of riding.”

Even with setbacks like illness and injury, Hoy continues to stay connected to cycling and remains active in his own way.