Sir Bradley Wiggins says he is ‘lucky to be here' after cocaine addiction
The 2012 Tour de France winner and five-time Olympic champion said his children wanted to put him in rehab amid fears the issue could prove fatal.
Father-of-two Wiggins is now 12 months sober, attends regular therapy sessions, and feels 'a lot more at peace' with himself.
'There were times my son thought I was going to be found dead in the morning,' he said, according to the Observer.
'I was a functioning addict. People wouldn't realise. I was high most of the time for many years.
'I was walking a tightrope. I realised I had a huge problem. I had to stop. I'm lucky to be here.'
Since ending his career in 2016, Wiggins has spoken about his father's jealousy and being groomed by a coach as a child.
The 45-year-old, who last year was declared bankrupt, said disgraced cyclist Lance Armstrong has helped his recovery, including offering to pay for therapy.
'My addiction was a way of easing that pain that I lived with,' said Wiggins, according to Cycling Weekly.
'I'm still figuring a lot of this out but what I have got is a lot more control of myself and my triggers; I'm a lot more at peace with myself now which is a really big thing.'
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Edinburgh Live
15 hours ago
- Edinburgh Live
Sir Chris Hoy's cancer diagnosis has helped to save over 1,000 lives
Our community members are treated to special offers, promotions and adverts from us and our partners. You can check out at any time. More info Edinburgh cycling legend Sir Chris Hoy has been credited with saving over 1,000 lives following his courageous decision to go public with his terminal prostate cancer diagnosis last October. The six-time Olympic champion, aged 49, stunned fans worldwide when he disclosed his battle with stage 4 prostate cancer. His announcement came shortly after his wife, Sarra, aged 45, was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis. Following his diagnosis, Hoy, collaborated with Prostate Cancer UK to launch an online 30-second 'risk checker' questionnaire. Since its inception, a staggering 180,000 men have utilised the service, leading to more than 1,000 individuals being diagnosed with prostate cancer through PSA (prostate-specific antigen) testing. "So that campaign has saved lives," Sir Chris acknowledged. "In all the chaos and all the fear and all the horror of first being diagnosed with stage 4 cancer, you can never imagine any positive outcome coming from that situation. So to know that there is one has given me a purpose. In difficult moments, you remind yourself, actually there is a net positive from this whole situation. And I'm lucky because I have a platform." The Edinburgh-born icon has been inundated with messages from men who sought testing after hearing about his ordeal. "My Instagram message feed is stacked with people who had no symptoms," he shared with the Sunday Times. "They had no reason to get a other than they'd seen my news. And they did it off the back of that, and found out they do have prostate cancer. They've caught it early. They're going to get treatment, and it's hopefully going to be OK. That gives me a huge lift." He expressed that his terminal diagnosis has instilled in him "a different level of appreciation of life." While some specialists argue that PSA tests can result in too many false positives and negatives, Hoy, a father of two young children, Callum, aged nine, and Chloe, aged seven, conceded: "It isn't 100 percent accurate. "However, it's the best we've got, and prostate is the most common cancer in England in men. So I believe we need to be more proactive in how we screen. Look at my situation." Despite having a family history of the disease, the Scot noted he had "no symptoms, no warnings, so I would not have got a PSA test if I'd just gone to a regular GP. They'd have said, 'Come back when you're 50'. "But by that point it would have been far too late." He also disclosed that when he is approached for a selfie, his children often ask: "Is it because of cancer?". He remarks: "It's not something that really scares them, they don't talk about it much, it's just there." His partner Sarra remains 'stoic and strong', with the children still oblivious to her diagnosis. Advanced prostate cancer occurs when the cancer cells spread from the prostate - a gland about the size of a walnut located just below the bladder - to other parts of the body. At this advanced stage, it is currently incurable, but can be managed. If the cancer has metastasised to the bone, the most common symptom is bone pain - a dull ache or sharp stabbing sensation that can disrupt sleep. In Sir Chris's case, the first symptom was shoulder pain. His chemotherapy treatment was painful as he opted to wear a cap to prevent hair loss for the sake of his young children. Early-stage prostate cancer often presents no symptoms. However, early indicators may include an increased need to urinate, particularly during the night. Most cases of prostate cancer are detected early through screening. In the UK, men at average risk typically undergo their first screening test at 55. The public's interest in 'Sir Chris Hoy' surged after he disclosed his diagnosis, with charities and fellow athletes commending his bravery. Those at high risk may be tested as early as 45 or even younger. Hoy's 'Tour de 4' is scheduled for Sept 7, a charity bike ride involving 5,000 cyclists, many of whom are living with stage 4 cancer. The event aims to raise £1m and will start and finish at the Sir Chris Hoy Velodrome in Glasgow. To participate, visit
Daily Record
16 hours ago
- Daily Record
Sir Chris Hoy going public with cancer battle has saved over 1,000 lives
Olympic cycling hero Sir Chris Hoy went public with his diagnosis in October last year. Olympic cycling hero Sir Chris Hoy has helped to save over 1,000 lives after he bravely went public with his terminal prostate cancer diagnosis last October. The six-time gold medallist, 49, shocked the world when he revealed he had stage 4 prostate cancer. It came just days after his wife, Sarra, 45, discovered that she had multiple sclerosis, a condition where the body attacks its own immune system, reports the Mirror. Hoy, 49, then teamed up with the charity Prostate Cancer UK to provide an online 30-second questionnaire. Since then, an impressive 180,000 men have used the 'risk checker' and more than 1,000 had a PSA (prostate-specific antigen) test which revealed they had prostate cancer. "So that campaign has saved lives," said Sir Chris. "In all the chaos and all the fear and all the horror of first being diagnosed with stage 4 cancer, you can never imagine any positive outcome coming from that situation. So to know that there is one has given me a purpose. In difficult moments, you remind yourself, actually there is a net positive from this whole situation. And I'm lucky because I have a platform." The Edinburgh -born legend said he's been flooded with messages from men who got tested after seeing his story. "My Instagram message feed is stacked with people who had no symptoms," he told the Sunday Times. "They had no reason to get a other than they'd seen my news. And they did it off the back of that, and found out they do have prostate cancer. They've caught it early. They're going to get treatment, and it's hopefully going to be OK. That gives me a huge lift." His terminal diagnosis has given him "a different level of appreciation of life." Some experts believe that PSA tests provide too many false positives and negatives. Hoy, who has two young kids, Callum, nine and Chloe, seven, admitted: "It isn't 100 percent accurate. "But it's the best we've got, and prostate is the most common cancer in England in men. So I believe we need to be more proactive in how we screen. Look at my situation." The Scot had a family history of the illness but he had "no symptoms, no warnings, so I would not have got a PSA test if I'd just gone to a regular GP. They'd have said, 'Come back when you're 50'. "But by that point it would have been far too late." He recently revealed when people ask him for a selfie, his children ask: "Is it because of cancer?". He says: "It's not something that really scares them, they don't talk about it much, it's just there." Sarra is 'stoic and strong'. The children are still unaware of her diagnosis. Join the Daily Record WhatsApp community! Get the latest news sent straight to your messages by joining our WhatsApp community today. You'll receive daily updates on breaking news as well as the top headlines across Scotland. No one will be able to see who is signed up and no one can send messages except the Daily Record team. All you have to do is click here if you're on mobile, select 'Join Community' and you're in! If you're on a desktop, simply scan the QR code above with your phone and click 'Join Community'. We also treat our community members to special offers, promotions, and adverts from us and our partners. If you don't like our community, you can check out any time you like. To leave our community click on the name at the top of your screen and choose 'exit group'. If you're curious, you can read our Privacy Notice. Advanced prostate cancer is when the cancer cells spread from the prostate - a gland which is the size of a walnut and sits just beneath the bladder - to other areas of the body. It is currently not curable at the advanced stage, but it can be controlled. If cancer has spread to the bone, the most common symptoms is bone pain - a dull ache or stabbing pain, and can wake you up at night. With Sir Chris, the first symptom was pain in his shoulder. His chemo was painful because he chose to wear a cap to avoid hair loss for the sake of his young children. Early prostate cancer often has no symptoms. But early signs include a need to urinate more often, especially at night. Most prostate cancers are found early through screening. Men at average risk are likely to have their first screening test at 55 in the UK. Many men searched ' Sir Chris Hoy ' after he went public with his diagnosis, and charities and fellow athletes praised the courage of that decision. Those at high risk may take the test at 45 or even younger. Hoy's 'Tour de 4' takes place on Sept 7, a charity bike ride for 5,000 cyclists, many living with stage 4 cancer. It aims to raise £1m, and starts and finishes at the Sir Chris Hoy Velodrome in Glasgow. To sign up go to
Glasgow Times
17 hours ago
- Glasgow Times
Sir Chris Hoy: Raising awareness of prostate cancer gives me purpose
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