BBC Breakfast viewers have sent messages of support to Sir Chris Hoy following his first TV appearance since announcing his cancer was terminal.
The since six-time Olympic cycling champion made the announcement just over two weeks ago and clips from his upcoming interview with Sally Nugent aired during Tuesday’s edition of BBC Breakfast.
In the show, which airs tonight on BBC One, Sir Chris tells Sally of the “absolute shock and horror” he felt at his initial diagnosis. As reported by the Mirror he also opened up on the “nightmare” of learning wife Sarra had multiple sclerosis and having to break the news to their two young children.
Sir Chris also speaks about how they are dealing with their situation, the outpouring of support they have received and how he is focusing on the positives and the good he hopes can come from it.
Fans took to social media to send their well wishes to Chris as the Scots sportsman bravely opened up to Sally. Taking to X, formerly known as Twitter, one fan penned: “What an inspirational man @chrishoy is, a true champion. I wish him all the strength and his family through his cancer diagnosis. What a winner this man is. @BBCSport #champion #sirchris.” Another added: “@chrishoy True Warrior.”
A third person said: “Courage & Selfless Commitment in abundance. Leadership, dignity, and candour in the face of no greater challenge. What a human being Sir Chris Hoy is.” A fourth social media user said: “Sir Chris Hoy’s determination is a beacon of hope for so many facing tough times.”
Sir Chris and Sarra have two children, Callum and Chloe, who were aged nine and six at the time. “That was the first thought in my head,” Sir Chris says. “How on earth are we going to tell the kids? It’s just this absolute horror, it is a waking nightmare, living nightmare.
“We just tried to be positive and tried to say do you know what, this is what we’re doing and you can help because when I’m not feeling well, you can come and give me cuddles, you can be supportive, you can be happy, you can be kind to each other.
“I’m sure lots of families do it in different ways and I think there’s no one right approach for anyone. There’s no one-size-fits-all, but for us I think that was the best way to do it.”
Sir Chris says chemotherapy “was one of the biggest challenges I’ve ever faced and gone through” at a time when he was “still reeling from the diagnosis” just a few weeks earlier.
He says he tried to focus on the positives and see it as “a good thing, we’re here to try and to start punching back, this is going to be a positive fight against the cancer”.
BBC Breakfast airs daily on BBC One at 6am and Sir Chris Hoy: Finding Hope will be shown on BBC One at 8pm on Tuesday, November 5