When Chris Hoy’s shoulder starts hurting, at first he thinks it’s the usual: “the sort of aches and pains I’ve grown accustomed to when pushing myself in the gym and on the bike”. The cyclist, who became the first British athlete to win six Olympic golds, continued to practise hard despite retiring after the London Games of 2012. Perhaps his middle-aged body is no longer up to it, he thinks.
In September 2023, aged 47, he receives the diagnosis: terminal cancer. It has spread from his prostate throughout his body. He is told he has two to four years to live.
Subscribe to The New Statesman today from only £8.99 per month
Content from our partners
