Sir Chris Hoy has confirmed that he is suffering from terminal cancer and has been given two to four years to live.

The Edinburgh-born cyclist announced back in February that he had cancer but has now revealed that he will die from the illness, and given details on his diagnosis.

He had initially gone for tests on a shoulder he thought he had hurt while weightlifting, only to be told the news that it was cancer after a tumour was discovered.

Further tests found that it had started in his prostate, and there were also tumours in his pelvis, hip, spine and rib and that it was stage 4.

“And just like that, I learn how I will die”, says the Olympic hero in an interview with The Sunday Times.

Sir Chris has written a book about the last year as he looks to tell his own story and he was effectively forced into announcing his diagnosis in February.

A friend of his wife Sarra had received a call from a journalist asking if it was true that Sir Chris had ‘a terminal illness’. It was then decided to go public but they kept most of the details to themselves at that stage.

It would have been easy to be angry and at the time there was frustration, but he quickly got his head around it and decided there was no point in wasting time finding out who might have leaked the news.

He said: “It would have happened at some point and there was a relief with it. It was awful, because that Pandora’s box is opened and you can’t shut it. But it was like a pressure release.”

With six gold medals at the Olympics as well as a silver, 25 World Championship medals, four Commonwealths and just the one European Championship bronze to his name, it’s no surprise that Sir Chris is a national treasure when it comes to sport.

His success on the track is known and he’s now written a book about his experiences with cancer, which he is hoping can help someone – even if it’s just one person.

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He added: “I think it’s important to show how bad it was.

“Hand on heart, I’m pretty positive most of the time and I have genuine happiness. This is bigger than the Olympics. It’s bigger than anything. This is about appreciating life and finding joy.”

“There’s so much positivity that can come out of this from all angles. I’m just really excited that this book hopefully will be able to help people.”

Sir Chris, who married his wife Sarra in 2010, has two kids who are aged 10 and seven. Shortly after he was diagnosed with cancer, there was bad news for his wife too as it was revealed she had an aggressive form of Multiple Sclerosis which needed immediate treatment.

For the cyclist, who had been trying to be as positive as possible about his own illness, he admits that was the moment he really felt like he was struggling.

He said: “It’s the closest I’ve come to, like, you know, why me? Just, what? What’s going on here? It didn’t seem real. It was such a huge blow, when you’re already reeling.

“You think nothing could possibly get worse. You literally feel like you’re at rock bottom, and you find out, oh no, you’ve got further to fall. It was brutal.”

They also had to tell their kids about his disease, and he looked to assure his son that he would be around for a long while yet when asked if he was going to die.

His positivity continues to shine through and despite both he and his wife having serious illnesses, he’s still looking on the bright side.

He continued: “I still feel like we’re lucky.

“When you realise, God, this has been going on since the beginning of time. As unnatural as it feels, this is nature. You know, we were all born and we all die, and this is just part of the process.”

As part of his book, he is also doing an audio version which he admits will be a message to his kids when he is gone – and that is certainly a difficult thing to do.

He added: (The last chapter) is basically where I’m writing to the kids. You know, my message to them. And reading the words out loud, you have to connect emotionally.

“You’ve got to actually read in a way that means something. But the risk is getting too close to it — because you’re suddenly thinking, these are the words that my kids will listen to when I’m gone. And that is, without doubt, the hardest thing I’ve ever done.”

Even in his own battles, though, he’s still wanting to make life better for other people.

When asked what his hopes were from telling his own - and difficult - story, he replied: “Changing the perception of stage 4 — that could be a really powerful thing.”