Sir Chris Hoy, revealed he was diagnosed with cancer last year in an emotional statement on Friday evening.
The six times Olympic track cycling champion, 47, explained he wanted to keep his diagnosis private for the sake of his young family but "felt his hand had been forced". He also revealed the news came as a complete shock after experiencing no physical symptoms of the disease.
His full statement, which was shared on his Instagram feed, read: "I have a bit of news. Last year I was diagnosed with cancer, which came as a huge shock, having had no symptoms up to that point. I'm currently receiving treatment including chemotherapy, which thankfully is going really well.
© Christie Goodwin"I'd like to extend my sincere gratitude to all the medical professionals for their amazing help and care. For the sake of my young family, I had hoped to keep this information private but regrettably our hand has been forced.
"Whilst I'm thankful for any support, I'd like to deal with this privately. My heart goes out to the many others who are also going through similar challenges right now. I'm optimistic, positive and surrounded by love for which I'm truly grateful. As you might imagine, the last few months have been incredibly difficult.
© Anthony Devlin"However, I currently feel fine - I am continuing to work, ride my bike and live my life as normal. It's an exciting year of work ahead, not least with the Paris Olympics in July. I can't wait to get stuck in, have fun and share it with you all."
Chris won his first gold medal in Athens in 2004 where he also set a world record in the kilometre time trial. He went on to gain five more gold medals in the subsequent Olympic Games.
He is the doting had to two children, Callum and Chloe, whom he shares with his adoring wife, Sarra.
In 2009, Chris was knighted for services to sport. He is a proud ambassador for the Scottish Association for Mental Health where he and his wife do what they can to raise awareness for the challenges faced by parents with premature babies, having gone through the experience twice with both of their children.
