When Sir Chris Hoy revealed a year ago that he had received the devastating news of a terminal diagnosis of prostate cancer, what was actually more touching was his smile and zest for life.
That’s when he decided to fight cancer and live life to the fullest. Two years after her diagnosis, Hui remains an inspirational character.
Sir Chris is an active advocate of new treatments and medicines, as well as a visible spokesperson for awareness, funding and research.
Speaking to Sky Sports about his recent recovery from a broken leg sustained on an outing on his favorite bike, Hoy said: “Once you get past the diagnosis, which for me was over two years ago, the first part of it is pretty tough and then the treatment starts. Then, if you’re lucky like me, you respond to the treatment and then you go into a kind of plateau.”
“It’s not completely stable and sometimes it comes back and you have to change your treatment, but fortunately in my situation, like men with prostate cancer, there are a lot of different treatments out there.
Sir Chris Hoy revealed his terminal cancer diagnosis a year ago
“Even though I trust science and know that countless people around the world are working on new drugs and new treatments right now with the hope that one day I will not end up with a terminal diagnosis, I am doing well.”
When he broke his leg, Sir Chris always said he wouldn’t let his illness stop him from doing one of the things he loved most – riding his bike. Despite retiring as a professional after winning six Olympic and 11 world titles, Sir Chris is an active mountain bike rider. But unfortunately, accidents happen even to the best of people.
“I hit my foot mountain biking, which is the worst thing that’s happened to me recently. I can’t bounce like I did when I was younger.
“That was a big deal. I’m feeling better now. I’m still hobbling around on crutches, but I hope I’ll be able to move a bit more by the time I go to the darts final on January 3.”
“Worse things can happen. I’ve been riding bikes for 43 years and this was the worst accident I’ve ever had. Fortunately, this was the worst accident I’ve ever had on a bike.”
Hoy presented the Sid Waddell Trophy to Luke Littler after he won last year’s World Darts Championship
“I could trip and injure myself walking up the stairs to the front door. The point is, I’m not a huge risk taker, but I want to live my life and make the most of it. None of us are going to be here forever, so you’ll want to make the most of your time and do something fun.”
“Unfortunately, I spilled a drink and the cookie fell apart. I’m fine now. It wasn’t so great right after that, but I’m looking forward to Christmas.”
“Even Bigger 180” and “Darts of Destiny”
Almost 12 months ago, Luke Littler was crowned world darts champion. The then 17-year-old was presented with the trophy by Sir Chris, who was watching his first live darts event.
Also on hand was World Darts Championship sponsor Paddy Power running the ‘Bigger 180’ campaign and acting as an ambassador for his tireless efforts to raise awareness and funds for Prostate Cancer UK. The campaign meant that for every 180 darts, £1,000 would be donated to Prostate Cancer UK, and for every nine darts checked out, £180,000 would be split equally between players, charities and spectators.
From ‘Bigger 180’ to ‘Even Bigger 180’ to ‘Darts of Destiny’ – let Sir Chris explain this World Championship.
“A new part of this year’s campaign is Darts of Destiny. Anyone who donates to our JustGiving page will be entered into a prize draw and one lucky person will be notified and given access to the darts final, where they will receive nine darts 10 minutes before the players come out.
“If I can do a 180 in front of a whole crowd, I can win £180,000. What an opportunity. I think everyone wants to think, ‘I can do a 180, nine darts isn’t that bad’. But when you break it down, you realize you have to average 20 points per dart, which is not easy when the pressure is on.”
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On the Love The Darts podcast, Abigail Davis and Chris Murphy discuss Ritter’s rise to world No. 1 and who could challenge him for the world championship.
At the end of the day, Ally Pally’s fun lies in raising much-needed awareness and funds for prostate cancer research. Considering Sir Chris’ plight after receiving a terminal diagnosis, his desire to help is understandable.
More than £2m has already been raised and more is being sought for this year’s campaign.
“There is a Transform trial being funded by the Prostate Cancer Society UK. They are looking at different methods of screening for prostate cancer and trying to generate evidence that this is the most effective method.
“We cannot stand by and watch 10,000 men a year in the UK being diagnosed with an incurable disease too late. We must step up to the plate and get some testing done. Then some of the money you raise will go towards trying to change this. This is a really worthy cause and obviously one that is very close to my heart.”
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Watch both Luke Littler’s World Matchplay and his impressive Premier League nine-darter with Michael van Gerwen, Luke Humphries and Josh Lock.
“Little is a true wonder of the sport – he deserves attention.”
Sir Chris has won six Olympic gold medals and 11 world gold medals, so he’s pretty used to being the best, dealing with the pressure that comes with it, and performing when it really matters.
But after witnessing the world’s best darts players, especially Littler, Hoy was left in awe.
“What’s remarkable is that Luke Littler, even though he was in his late 30s to early 40s and a veteran of the sport, was still an impressive athlete and yet was only 17 years old! He was incredibly calm for a man his age, which was really remarkable.
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Let’s take a look back at the best moments of Littler’s career as he looks to retain his World Darts Championship.
“His age is the first thing that draws attention, and the fact that sports that require such skills usually take decades not only to master but also to cope with the pressure. It’s very much a mental game.
“It’s his calmness under pressure, but compared to his age. That was the unique thing that stood out, that he didn’t seem affected by it at all. He looked so normal, and I think when we usually look at our heroes in sports, they look different to us, they look like a different breed, and yet he just walked in and seemed unaffected by this cavalcade and the chaos around him.”
“There was no pressure on his shoulders. He seemed to have lapped it up and it wasn’t just a one-off. He’s been performing at the highest level ever since and I think he’s a real wonder.”
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From celebratory kebabs to winning his first World Darts Championship title, take a look at Luke Littler’s top 5 moments at Ally Pally!
Despite currently being on crutches, Sir Chris fully expects to return to Alexandra Palace for the final on January 3. he has a problem.
He took to the stage 10 minutes before the final and was asked if he wanted to win £180,000 by scoring over 180 points with nine darts, and he answered with another smile. “I think if you do it 10 times, you can do it 5 out of 10 times.
“It’s all about the first throw. If you hit a treble 20 on your first dart, you’re off to a good start, but if you hit one or don’t score at all, you’re at a disadvantage, and then you’re trying to score doubles and trebles. That’s when everything goes pear-shaped, but I don’t think I’m going to set myself back!”
Who will win the Paddy Power World Darts Championship? Watch every match live and exclusively on Sky Sports’ dedicated darts channel (Sky channel 407) from 11th December. Stream darts and other top sports now.
