Sir Chris Hoy’s wife has hailed her husband as a ‘real life superhero’ after the Scots Olympic champion’s shock terminal cancer diagnosis.
The multi-medal winning cyclist, 48, revealed his prostate cancer diagnosis in February, confirming that it was terminal earlier this week.
The heartbreak continued as his wife Lady Sarra Hoy also went public with her diagnosis of a “very active and aggressive” form of multiple sclerosis (MS).
Sarra, 44, had visited her GP after experiencing a tingling sensation in her face and tongue. After undergoing a scan just before Christmas, she was found to have the degenerative and incurable disease MS.
Now, the charity ambassador and mum has addressed the public for the first time since the revelation and paid a sweet tribute to her doting husband Chris.
She wrote on Instagram: “Completely overwhelmed by your kind, thoughtful and helpful messages. Many people say they don’t know what to say- that’s ok, you don’t need to have the words – just taking the time to message has been like a soothing balm to the soul. Thank you.
“I’ve been told that men seeking advice about prostate cancer is up seven fold and that Chris’s story is likely to save countless lives. This takes my breath away.”
Sarra, a former lawyer from Edinburgh, remains positive about life, despite the heart-wrenching circumstances. She concluded: “Life is wonderful. We are excited about the future. We have so many more adventures planned…. And I am so fortunate to get to do it all with @chrishoy1 – the most incredible person I’ve ever met.
“Watching him on the BBC at the weekend was like watching a masterclass in strength of character, dignity and humility. I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again- he truly is my real life superhero.”
It comes as the former track cyclist, who won six gold medals, revealed his greatest fear is his children learning about their parents’ health struggles from schoolmates.
Speaking to The Sunday Times, Sir Chris expressed his concern that either his son Callum, nine, or daughter Chloe, six, could be told: “I saw your daddy on the news last night and he’s going to die.”
The family have decided to take a two-week half-term holiday, hoping things will calm down by the time they return.
“Hopefully the dust will have settled”, said Sir Chris, before adding emotionally: “You know what? It may happen. If it does, we will deal with it.”
While the couple have informed their children about Chris’ cancer diagnosis, they are yet to tell them about Sarra’s MS. In an excerpt from his new book, All That Matters, shared with The Times, Chris writes: “Another scan just before Christmas confirmed that Sarra had ‘very active and aggressive’ MS and needed urgent treatment.
“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.”
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