The wife of Olympic cyclist Sir Chris Hoy said his decision to reveal his prostate cancer diagnosis has sparked a surge in men seeking advice, as she described him as a “real life superhero”.
Lady Sarra Hoy also said Sir Chris’s announcement that his condition is terminal is “likely to save countless lives”.
Britain’s most successful Olympian, 48, revealed his terminal prognosis at the weekend, after announcing in February that he had been diagnosed with cancer.
Writing on Instagram, Lady Sarra said the couple, who married in Edinburgh 14 years ago and have two children, are “excited about the future” and have “so many more adventures planned”.
Sharing a photo of herself with Sir Chris on holiday, she said messages of support have been “like a soothing balm to the soul”.
She wrote: “Completely overwhelmed by your kind, thoughtful and helpful messages. Many people say they don’t know what to say – that’s ok, you don’t need to have the words – just taking the time to message has been like a soothing balm to the soul. Thank you.
“I’ve been told that men seeking advice about prostate cancer is up seven fold and that Chris’s story is likely to save countless lives. This takes my breath away.
“Life is wonderful. We are excited about the future. We have so many more adventures planned… And I am so fortunate to get to do it all with @chrishoy1 – the most incredible person I’ve ever met.
“Watching him on the BBC at the weekend was like watching a masterclass in strength of character, dignity and humility.
“I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again – he truly is my real life superhero.”
Her comments came after the founder of the charity Prostate Scotland also praised Sir Chris for speaking publicly about his condition, saying it will “undoubtedly” have an impact on awareness of the disease.
Professor Alan McNeill, a consultant urological surgeon at NHS Lothian, said: “What he has done, I presume he has done specifically to try to help others, so I think he has to be admired and thanked for his courage in doing that, because he has a young family and it is not easy.
“But in doing so there is no question that it has raised the issue up the agenda.”
Sir Chris’s diagnosis came after his father and grandfather were both diagnosed with the disease, with Prof McNeill urging other men with a family history of prostate cancer to get tested in a bid to catch any cases early.
He said: “If Chris Hoy can spare others with a similar family history then he will have done a great thing, another great thing.”
In a statement on Instagram on Thursday, Sir Chris said he was “blown away” by the public reaction.
“I’ve been utterly blown away by the love and support that we’ve received this week following my announcement that my cancer is stage 4.
“I understand there has been a massive increase in men seeking advice about prostate cancer in the last few days and that’s been a huge comfort to us, to know that hopefully many lives could be saved by early testing.”
House Rules
We do not moderate comments, but we expect readers to adhere to certain rules in the interests of open and accountable debate.
Read the rules here