Sir Chris Hoy’s wife, Lady Sarra Hoy, has opened up about the Olympian’s resilience as he battles cancer amid her ‘secret’ multiple sclerosis (MS) diagnosis.
In an emotional first solo interview, Lady Sarra spoke to Lorraine Kelly on ITV’s Lorraine as part of the chat-show host’s March4March campaign.
Last year, six-time Olympic gold medallist Sir Chris, 48, revealed that he had been diagnosed with terminal prostate cancer.
Shortly after, Lady Sarra herself was diagnosed with MS, a condition that affects the brain and nerves.
Lady Sarra said she had been inundated by women telling her they have got tested because of her husband’s diagnosis.
She said: ‘Other women contact me to say, my partner, my dad, my uncle, they’ve gone and got tested, it’s been found and it’s been treated.’
Sir Chris Hoy’s wife, Lady Sarra Hoy, has opened up about the Olympian’s resilience as he battles cancer amid her ‘secret’ multiple sclerosis (MS) diagnosis (Seen in December)
In an emotional first solo interview, Lady Sarra spoke to Lorraine Kelly on ITV’s Lorraine as part of the chat-show host’s March4March campaign (Seen in November)
When asked how she was coping, she told Kelly: ‘Really well, thank you. There’s another version of my life where I’m still unaware that something is trundling on.
‘Here and now, I’m really lucky. We’ve been unlucky in a very small area of our lives. The rest, we are surrounded by wonderful people.’
‘I’ve always been Chris’ number one fan, and to see people saying these lovely things about him, I can’t put into words what it’s meant to both of us.’
Lady Sarra’s MS diagnosis came just a week after the sports star’s cancer revelation.
She got the news following a routine MRI scan to investigate a tingling sensation in her face and tongue.
Remarkably, she chose to keep her diagnosis a secret from Sir Chris and their children during his initial cancer treatment to prioritise his well-being.
The athlete later described the news of Sarra’s MS in his memoir, All That Matters: My Toughest Race Yet, as ‘a huge blow’.
But she admitted he was in awe of the strength and resilience she displayed during that time.
Last year, six-time Olympic gold medallist Sir Chris, 48, revealed that he had been diagnosed with terminal prostate cancer and hortly after, Lady Sarra herself was diagnosed with MS (Seen in 2012)
When asked how she was coping, she told Kelly: ‘Really well, thank you. There’s another version of my life where I’m still unaware that something is trundling on’ (Seen in March)
The March4March campaign, which Lady Sarra is supporting, aims to help the one in four Brits struggling with their physical and mental health low mood by promoting the mental health benefits of exercise and movement.
Sir Chris also has his own campaign to encourage men to get prostate cancer checks.
Since revealing his diagnosis last October, the Scotsman has spearheaded a movement to raise awareness about the disease, which is the nation’s most common form of cancer.
Thanks to his efforts, more than 75,000 men have used Prostate Cancer UK’s online risk checker, with 80% discovering they were at higher risk and advised to contact their GP for further testing.
Sir Chris has also raised over £55,000 for Prostate Cancer UK, has been instrumental in starting a public conversation about men’s health.
In a brave revelation last year, Chris shared that he had ‘just two to four years’ left to live.
In his memoir, the Olympian detailed how his wife’s diagnosis was delivered only weeks after he discovered he had cancer.
During an interview with the Times, Sir Chris also revealed that their children make their prognosis more painful as they are reminded of what is at stake.
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