Sir Chris Hoy: 'If exercise was in pill form, it would be hailed as a miracle drug'

Team GB Olympic legend Sir Chris Hoy has revealed the toll his cancer battle is taking on his private life as the cycling star appeared at the Commonwealth Games.

Hoy is this week’s Big Issue magazine cover star and he spoke to us just days before he greeted King Charles and Queen Camilla after they emerged from a Tardis at the Glasgow Games’ opening ceremony.

It’s been a busy year for Hoy. In May he was rubbing shoulders with George Clooney at a gala dinner for homelessness advocates Social Bite. In June he cycled 750km from San Sebastián to Barcelona, across the Pyrenees, to raise money for vulnerable young people – this after breaking his leg in the “worst crash” of his life last December.

At the end of that trip he deservedly took a pitstop at the Spanish Grand Prix, then another at Silverstone, before also taking in Wimbledon from the royal box. 

That’s despite the challenges he has faced off the track. In September 2023 Hoy announced he’d been diagnosed with prostate cancer. In October 2024 he issued an update that the cancer had spread to his bones and he’d been given between two and four years to live. So Hoy is dealing with a lot. But is clearly made of special stuff.

“We can underestimate what we’re capable of dealing with, but it’s only when those challenges are brought to you that you recognise actually, I can get through this. I’m tougher than I thought. And the future might be better than you think as well,” he told Big Issue.

“One thing I would say is, don’t expect to feel positive and great all the time. You don’t go in the gym once, pick up a dumbbell and go, ‘Well, that’s me strong now.’ 

“The mental side of a cancer diagnosis is probably the biggest challenge by far. The physical side is difficult, but the mental side is the real challenge. 

“I don’t want to present myself as someone doing really well, everything’s great, I’ve cracked it. There are some days where it’s really tough. There are ups and downs. You can get through the most difficult of moments if you bring yourself back to the here and now, and don’t try and think too far ahead.”

Hoy’s determination and dedication earned him plenty of success in cycling. He was Britain’s most successful Olympian with seven medals, six of them gold (fellow cyclist Jason Kenny has since topped that tally). In between there were also 11 world titles.

The Scottish sporting icon has seen the Commonwealth Games return to Glasgow 12 years after the city last hosted the event.

Around any Games that require a huge amount of investment, legacy is the buzzword. Is the legacy of Glasgow 2014 evident in the athletes who are competing 12 years later?

“Definitely. Athletes I’ve seen interviewed saying, ‘I remember watching the Games and thinking I want to do that one day’.

“When we talk about inspiration, we often just think of young athletes who want to become elite level performers. But often the inspiration is anybody of any age thinking, do you know what, I should get my bike out the shed. I could cycle to work. I want to get more active. I want to just feel a wee bit better.

“The physical benefits are clear. But the mental benefits of exercise… You know, exercise is a big part of my dealing with my cancer. There’s numerous studies to show that exercise can improve the efficacy of the cancer medications. It can improve your time to relapse. If it was in pill form, it would be hailed as a miracle drug.”

Hoy’s positive attitude is more inspiring than any of his feats on the track. But just like his decades of dedicated, laser-focused training, it doesn’t come easy.

That hasn’t stopped him maintaining an optimistic outlook.

“I think we always try to predict the future,” he adds. “That’s what creates anxiety and stress and worry. What’s going to happen? None of us know. Be in the present and recognise what is good about the moment. It might not seem like much, but sometimes you can forget how lucky you are just to be here right now.”

Read the full interview in this week’s Big Issue magazine. Available now from Big Issue vendors or from the Big Issue Shop

Join the Tour de 4

The Tour de 4 is a charity cycle event set up by Sir Chris Hoy following his diagnosis, to help change perceptions of living with Stage 4 cancer. Last year’s inaugural event, held in Glasgow, raised £3.1 million for UK cancer charities. This year’s event is on Sunday 6 September at the Sir Chris Hoy Velodrome in Glasgow and spots are still available for each of the rides:

Red: For seasoned riders or those looking for a challenge, 92km

Blue: For casual cyclists or less experienced riders, 62km

Green: A family ride around a 1km loop. All children must be accompanied by an adult

Yellow: Static ride for those unable to cycle on roads in slots of up to 20 minutes  

Register to ride the Tour de 4 here

You can also make a donation, with proceeds going to Breast Cancer Now, Cure Leukaemia, Maggie’s, Macmillan and Prostate Cancer UK

Do you have a story to tell or opinions to share about this? Get in touch and tell us more. 

Change a vendor’s life.

Buy from your local Big Issue vendor every week – and always take the magazine. It’s how vendors earn with dignity and move forward.

You can also support online:
Subscribe to the magazine or support our work with a monthly gift. Your support helps vendors earn, learn and thrive while strengthening our frontline services.

Thank you for standing with Big Issue vendors.