I'm addicted to winning. I chased that buzz with cagefighting when Ben died - now I have to win back home, says ex-England captain and new Kent head coach ADAM HOLLIOAKE
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Adam Hollioake chuckles from the ice bath at his home on the Gold Coast. ‘I do it every morning,’ he says. ‘And I f***ing hate it. ‘When I say I hate it, it’s the anxiety of getting in, and then the five minutes that I’m in it. I’m just bad with cold.’.
![[Hollioake is an extraordinarily candid and inspirational leader, while he is a born competitor]](https://i.dailymail.co.uk/1s/2024/12/27/09/93513295-14229399-image-a-4_1735291859968.jpg)
Why then does the ex-England captain put himself through this daily purgatory? ‘It’s the benefits,’ he replies, referring to the reduction in inflammation in the muscles and joints, and subsequent ability of the body to recover quicker from exercise. Even at 53, dedication to being the best he can is yet to leave him.
![[He takes over a Kent side who endured a difficult season in 2024 across all three formats]](https://i.dailymail.co.uk/1s/2024/12/27/09/93513281-14229399-image-a-5_1735291865679.jpg)
Hollioake is a born competitor. Catalysed by the death of his younger brother Ben in a car accident in 2002, it took him away from English cricket 20 years ago and, when a business venture ended in bankruptcy, into the realms of boxing and mixed martial arts in his native Australia.
![[Hollioake is a legend at Surrey for leading the club to three County Championship titles]](https://i.dailymail.co.uk/1s/2024/12/27/09/93513261-14229399-image-a-7_1735292017740.jpg)
But this extraordinarily candid man is returning to the county scene after Kent identified his inspirational leadership to rejuvenate a team that finished well clear at the County Championship’s top division last summer. Operation Promotion is already under way, although Hollioake officially begins a three-year contract on February 1.
![[Adam faced tragey with the death of his younger brother Ben (left) in a car accident in 2002]](https://i.dailymail.co.uk/1s/2024/12/27/09/93513291-14229399-image-a-6_1735292002978.jpg)
Ahead of his first head coach role, he tells Mail Sport: ‘I’m sort of a polarising type of character. I’m sure there’ll be some people that will be like “it’s great to have him back,” and others who’ll say: “Not that a***hole!”. Adam Hollioake will return to the county scene after being appointed as Kent's new head coach.
![[Hollioake (left) subsequently moved into fighting and had 14 professional bouts over four years]](https://i.dailymail.co.uk/1s/2024/12/27/09/93513297-14229399-image-a-8_1735292023924.jpg)
