Sir Chris Hoy MBE

Chris Hoy is an eleven time World Champion and winner of six Olympic gold medals - a tally that marks him as one of Britain’s greatest Olympians, second only to his former team-mate, Jason Kenny. Since retiring from elite cycling Chris has become a regular on media coverage of his sport, as well as an author, racing driver and campaigner.


Starting out in competitive BMX at the age of seven, Chris became Scottish champion and as a teenager also competed as a rower, winning silver in the junior coxless pairs at the British Championship. He decided his future was on wheels, not water, and by the age of twenty he was part of the national squad. Chris’s first Olympic gold came in Athens, winning the 1km time trial in a competition many saw at the best ever in the category. Another three wins at the Beijing Games saw him become the first Brit in a century to claim three golds in one summer games The London Games propelled him to the status of sporting legend, winning both his competitions and providing some of the most emotive images of the games. He retired from competition with an incredible six golds and a total of seven Olympic medals.

With characteristic humility, Chris acknowledges his good fortune at being able to have a job he loves, whilst also recognising his unquenchable desire to win. He looks at the gruelling physical and mental aspects of elite competition, and the process by which he found the physical and emotional fortitude to endure separation from his family, and how this ultimately shaped his performance. It’s a story given even greater emotional resonance since Chris’s cancer diagnosis and the public acknowledgement of his terminal illness.

Chris considers his life on and off the track, the sacrifices and the rewards, the highs and lows. Drawing parallels with business, he reflects on his work with acclaimed psychologist Steve Peters, Team GB’s culture and self-belief, and a sport where innovation, resilience and marginal gains result in millisecond advantages and the difference between gold and silver.

Since leaving competition Chris has enjoyed a second sporting career in motorsport, successfully racing in the British GT and Le Man Series, including the famous 24 Hour race. He is a key part of the BBC’s team covering cycling events, including the Olympics. He has launched his own own range of bikes (HOY bikes), has published a series of children’s books, is an ambassador for Unicef and the Scottish Association for Mental Health (SAMH), and has won the BBC Sports Personality Lifetime Achievement Award.