Chris Hoy called 2024, the year he was diagnosed with terminal cancer, “the toughest year of my life,” the six-time Olympic track cycling champion released his memoir “All That Matters” on Thursday.

Hoy, who won Olympic gold medals in the 1km time trial, team sprint, keirin, and sprint, said the diagnosis was the “biggest shock of my life,” noting that he previously had “zero symptoms” of the disease.

The Scot was diagnosed with cancer last September, and further tests revealed that his prostate tumor had spread to his pelvis, hip, spine, ribs, and other bones. Doctors have given him two to four years to live.

“It was the biggest shock of my life. I remember absolute horror and shock,” Hoy told the BBC.

“I was basically walking around in a daze. I couldn't believe the news and was just trying to process it. But on the way home, I was like, 'Where am I? And I thought, 'How am I going to tell Saara [Hui's wife = editor's note]? What am I going to say?'

“This feels like it's not real. I feel like I am a caged animal and I want to get out of the consulting room and run away from the hospital. [This is something inside of me, and this is just the first step in the process of acceptance.

Hoy has undergone “excruciating” chemotherapy during that time.

“I don't think we necessarily give ourselves enough credit for what we can handle. It's only when you get into a really difficult situation that you realize who you are and what you can handle.”

“And then when you're riding bikes for a living, you realize, ‘Oh, that was really just a little fun.’

In a further blow to the family, Hoy's wife learned in a November 2023 exam that she had multiple sclerosis. Hoy said that hearing the news from his wife was “the worst thing that ever happened to me.”

“It was a moment when all of a sudden I thought, 'What's going on? I almost said, 'Stop, this is a dream, wake me up, this is not real, this is a nightmare. You're already on the canvas, you're already down, and now another punch is coming.

“But we're making progress and she's getting treatment and so far it's working. So we are lucky.”

Despite the hardship and the grim diagnosis for the future, Hui has managed to remain positive and continues to look to the future. He said he hopes that others will get the help they need, thanks to his own diagnosis, which has made the disease and its symptoms public.

NHS England reported a 672% increase in access to its website on prostate cancer symptoms following Hoy's announcement in October, and Health Secretary Wes Streeting said, “I can say Sir Chris Hoy is already making a difference.”

Since his diagnosis, Hoy has been filling his time by writing his recently published memoir, calling the process “cathartic.”

“I've been trying to help people understand that for anyone in life, not just people in my situation or family members in a similar situation, no matter what challenges you face, you can overcome them. It doesn't always have to have a happy ending.

“We know how it ends. No one lives forever. Our time on this planet is finite. Don't waste time worrying about things that don't matter that much. Focus on what is important, focus on your family and those closest to you. What I was planning to do someday, why not do it today?

“My outlook on life has changed dramatically. I've come to appreciate every day. It's been a tough year, and it's going to be tough down the road, but right here, right now, I'm doing pretty well.”