Episode #209
EP209: Who Are You When The World Isn't Watching?
Former England cricket captain Adam Hollioake joins me for a fascinating conversation about pressure, mental toughness and what it really takes to access your ability when everything is on the line. When Adam Hollioake lost his brother, people looked at the way he continued to perform and assumed he was coping. What they didn't see was what happened when he got home. In this conversation, the former England cricket captain shares how cricket became the only part of his day where his mind found relief from the grief and how years of mental training allowed him to remain present when everything outside the game felt unbearable. We talk about the imaginary hook he used outside the changing room to mentally leave his problems at the door, the way he imagined his thoughts as apps that needed closing, and why he deliberately visualised the most difficult conditions rather than only picturing success. Adam also shares what elite sport taught him about pressure, presence, subconscious training and the strange contradiction of calling the game "90% mental" while spending almost all our time training the physical. This is a deeply human conversation about grief, performance and what it really takes to access your ability when everything is on the line. In this episode, we discuss: Why cricket became a place of relief during grief The difference between appearing to cope and actually coping Adam's imaginary hook outside the changing room The "mental apps" technique he used to stay present Why he visualised hostile crowds and the worst possible conditions How pressure can block access to the ability you already have Why your biggest opponent can be your own mind The importance of knowing when there isn't actually a problem to fix What it means to bet on yourself when everything is on the line
