Sir Chris Hoy reveals signs before cancer diagnosis that he thought were nothing

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Sir Chris Hoy has spoken of the ache and pain he had before he discovered he had cancer. The Scottish six-time Olympic cycling champion said he thought it was just down to working out.

But he said he had "the biggest shock of my life" after going to see a doctor and finding out he had a tumour. The sporting legend has recently revealed his cancer is terminal after scans showed he has secondary bone cancer which stemmed from prostate cancer.

Now he has spoken to BBC Breakfast's Sally Nugent of the "absolute shock and horror" he felt at his initial diagnosis. The 48-year-old from Edinburgh said there was another "nightmare" after he learned his wife, Sarra, was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis.

Hoy, who retired from professional cycling in 2013, said that his diagnosis, which came in September 2023, was "completely out the blue" recalling there were "no symptoms, no warnings, nothing. All I had was a pain in my shoulder and a little bit of pain in my ribs". Despite two symptoms which he thought nothing of, he simply put it down to aches and pains from working out in the gym.

"But this ache and pain didn't go away", he said. Assuming it was "tendonitis or something", the scan showed a tumour and it was "the biggest shock of my life. I remember the feeling of just absolute horror and shock", he explained.

"I just basically walked back in a daze. I couldn't believe the news and I was just trying to process it, I don't remember walking. I just remember sort of halfway home thinking 'where am I?' And then I was thinking 'how am I going to tell Sarra? What am I going to say?'"

With the athlete now diagnosed with incurable cancer, the cyclist said he's trying to focus on the positives and fight back against cancer . He is urging people that if you have a family history or are over the age of 45, see a doctor.

The full interview - Sir Chris Hoy: Finding Hope - will air on BBC One at 8PM tonight (Tuesday, November 5) and BBC iPlayer thereafter. You can also listen to it on BBC Sounds.

Prostate cancer symptoms

The NHS website states: "Prostate cancer does not usually cause any symptoms until the cancer has grown large enough to put pressure on the tube that carries urine from the bladder out of the penis (urethra)." They say symptoms include:

• needing to rush to the toilet
• difficulty in starting to pee (hesitancy)
• feeling that your bladder has not emptied fully
• weak flow
• straining or taking a long time while peeing
• needing to pee more frequently, often during the night
• blood in urine or blood in semen

NHS advice on symptoms of cancer

The NHS advises people to speak to a GP if you get new or worrying symptoms of something. The NHS website states: "It's important to be aware of any new or worrying symptoms.

"Although it's unlikely to be cancer, it's important to speak to a GP so they can investigate. Finding cancer early means it's easier to treat.

"If your GP thinks you have symptoms that could be cancer, they'll refer you to a specialist. This will usually be an urgent referral."

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