Sir Chris Hoy tells of unbearable pain as he tried to save hair for heartbreaking reason

The Olympic cycling champion revealed his cancer is terminal

Olympic legend Sir Chris Hoy has opened up about the severe pain he endured as he underwent cancer treatment. The cycling star announced his cancer was terminal today.

He revealed that doctors had now given him just two to four years to live. The 48 year old opened up about his grueling treatment - and the heartbreaking reason he had chosen to go through unbearable pain by wearing a cold cap during therapy.

In a candid interview with the Times, Chris revealed that his son Callum, 10, had frequently asked him about losing his hair. To comfort his son and maintain privacy about his cancer treatment, he opted to wear a cold cap during therapy but revealed it was the worst pain he had ever experienced.

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"It's like your head being in a vice. And I've got a very high pain threshold," he added. During a particularly gruelling four-hour chemotherapy session, Chris suffered a 'violent' allergic reaction.

"I was absolutely broken by the end of it," he admitted. he also revealed his son had asked him if he was going to die after he told him about the diagnosis.

Chris heartbreakingly reassured his young boy that while no one lives forever, he hoped that, thanks to modern medicine, he'd be around 'for many, many years'.

Chris's wife Sarra Kemp was found to have a 'very active and aggressive' form of MS after his diagnosis. "It was such a huge blow, when you're already reeling," he commented.

"[You're] reading the words out loud, you have to connect emotionally. You've got to actually read in a way that means something. But the risk is getting too close to it because you're suddenly thinking, these are the words that my kids will listen to when I'm gone. And that is, without doubt, the hardest thing I've ever done."