Sir Chris Hoy has told people who have just been diagnosed with cancer to “hang on tight” and keep positive.
The Olympian said this when talking about the first few days after he found out he had cancer, when he said he didn’t think he would ever be happy again.
He went on to say, though, that those terrible thoughts are now behind him because time has passed and his loved ones have been there for him.
Sir Chris told people who were in the same situation he was in in 2023, “It won’t stay that way forever, and you can get through it.” You might not think you’ll make it, but you will, and it’s because of the people around you.
“When things are really awful, you don’t think about the future too much. You just have to get through the next minute, the next few seconds, those really hard times. It’s really almost second to second, and then it becomes minute to minute, hour to hour, day to day.
“I remember the first few days and weeks, when I had the first few minutes when I wasn’t thinking about it. You get distracted by something, and then you come back and snap back into it.”
Sir Chris said these things to promote his Tour De 4 charity cycle ride, which will be held at his velodrome in Glasgow on Sunday, September 7.
Sir Chris claimed that his diagnosis made him live “second to second,” but that his outlook altered later. “And then those periods get longer and longer, and before you know it, it’s just a part of your life and you don’t have to be defined by it.”
He said, “So to anyone else going through something like this, just hold on.” You can do it; things will become easier. You can do it, even though it seems like the worst thing in the world right now.
Sir Chris said this as he started a new program that he believes would get men with prostate cancer to be more active to improve their quality of life.
In 2023, the retired champion track cyclist, who was once Scotland’s most successful Olympian, was told he had stage 4 prostate cancer.
A year later, he was told he was going to die and that he only had two to four years to live.
He has now teamed up with PureGym, The Institute of Cancer Research, and the Royal Marsden NHS Foundation Trust to help men with cancer become more active.
The cooperation started at a PureGym in Glasgow before Sir Chris’ Tour De 4 charity cycle ride, which will be held at his velodrome on Sunday, September 7, in Glasgow.
There are several routes for participants to choose from, such as a 92km route, a 60km route, and a 1km route that is good for families.
The goal of the event is to raise about £1 million, and thus far more than £100,000 has been raised.
Sir Chris said, “Scientific studies have shown that structured exercise is the perfect complement to many cancer treatments. However, we need to break down the barriers that often stop patients from getting regular and consistent physical activity in order to see these benefits.”
“Exercise has always been a big part of my life, but it’s been even more important since I was diagnosed with prostate cancer.” I think it’s great that people are starting to understand how important exercise is for prostate cancer. This is a big step forward that might change everything.
Every year, about 20,000 men in the UK get advanced prostate cancer.
The new agreement will give men with advanced prostate cancer who are on hormone therapy a free, one-year membership to PureGym and a planned training regimen.
Hormone therapy is the major treatment right now, although it often has a lot of adverse effects, such as weight gain because of more fat and less muscle loss.
Long-term hormonal treatment can also cause fatigue and changes in mood. It can also cause bones to become thinner, heart disease, and diabetes.
The NHS has proposed that males with the condition be given workout programs to help with these negative effects.
around a third of men with advanced prostate cancer, on the other hand, are utterly sedentary, and only around one in eight meet the recommended levels of activity.
Could Sir Chris Hoy’s new fitness program change how men with prostate cancer exercise to take care of their health in a big way?
How is Sir Chris Hoy’s fight with stage 4 cancer getting a lot of men who are at risk of prostate cancer to pay attention to it?
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