Sir Chris Hoy made cancer announcement after 'leak' but kids still don't know about wife

The Olympic champion is facing a double family blow after two shattering diagnoses

Sir Chris Hoy has revealed he made the initial announcement of his cancer in February after news leaked out and a friend received a call from a journalist.

Hoy shared his illness with the world earlier this year but did not reveal his diagnosis was terminal. He has now confirmed doctors have given him between two and four years to live.

The Olympic hero has also announced his wife Sarra has been diagnosed with incurable MS - a fact his young children, Callum and Chloe, are unware of. Hoy has told them he will die from cancer but says there is only so much they can hear at a time.

READ MORE:Sir Chris Hoy announces he has just a few years to live after terminal cancer diagnosis

READ MORE: Terminally ill Sir Chris Hoy's wife diagnosed with incurable illness in shattering news

The cyclist was initially diagnosed in late September last year after going for a scan assuming he had suffered a shoulder injury in the gym. Tests revealed a tumour and a second scan found primary cancer in his prostate, which had metastasised to his bones. There were tumours in his shoulder, pelvis, hip, spine and rib.

After beginning chemotherapy, and suffering a violent allergic reaction to it, Hoy was still a long way from ready to share his diagnosis publicly. But a friend rang Sarra to say a journalist had just phoned to ask if it was true Hoy had a “terminal illness”.

At the time he was angry the news had leaked, although he realised it was a possibility with a number of people now knowing the truth. Who leaked it played on his mind initially but does not now, with the Scot admitting: “It would have happened at some point. And there was a relief with it. It was awful, because that Pandora’s box is opened and you can’t shut it. But it was like a pressure release.”

He released a statement on Instagram but it did not tell the whole story. He wasn't ready for that. The couple were also dealing with Sarra's aggressive MS diagnosis.

His wife’s MS is an incurable, degenerative disease and on bad days she can struggle to fit her key in the door, but her spirit is remarkable.

“She says all the time, ‘How lucky are we? We both have incurable illnesses for which there is some treatment. Not every disease has that. It could be a lot worse'," he said.

The couple have decided not to tell the children about the MS yet, although Hoy realises life will change from today, now the world knows everything.

“I never want to lie to them. But there are certain things you don’t need to tell them straight away,” he said.

Hoy is working as a pundit at the World Track Championships in Denmark today and realises there will be a lot of focus on him and his family. He said: “I’ll have my phone switched off and I’ll do my stuff.

“It will be difficult when people come over. But I just keep reminding myself, it will be a net-positive outcome. I’ll be able to take off this cloak of trying to hide the secrets that Sarra and I have had to shoulder for so long.

“I want them to be, like, ‘Great to see you here, and I’m so glad you’re here, you look like you’re doing well.’ And I am doing well. Today, right here, right now, I’m doing well.”

He admits his worst fear has been that a child at school might say to his son or daughter, like “I saw your daddy on the news last night and he’s going to die.” He will be taking his children on a two-week holiday after today, adding: “Hopefully the dust will have settled” when they return. The family will deal with whatever comes though.