Peter Clenott

"If you knock on Wakil's door, he's going to kill you." That's what Tareq Azim's guide told him, as they stood at the foot of the local Taliban warlord's home. Most people would let fear get the better of them. However, Tareq had already conquered fear. He walked up to the door by himself, and gave three loud knocks. Azim's family descended from Afghan royalty, but were forced to flee in 1979, after the Soviet Union invasion. They eventually settled as refugees in San Francisco. In the span of weeks, Azim's family went from living a life of privilege to Section 8 housing in the East Bay. Tareq assimilated into American life through sports, excelling in wrestling, boxing, and football. After graduating and playing football at Fresno State, Tareq's unease with how his family was forced from their ancestral land still bothered him. He decided to travel home and reclaim his ancestral land. Upon arriving in Afghanistan, Tareq quickly discovered there was no land to "reclaim." His childhood home had been blown to high hell over the course of 20 years of fighting. What Tareq did discover were dozens of children wandering aimlessly, waiting for inevitable recruitment into the Taliban or to be trafficked into a world of darkness. Tareq had found salvation in sports; these kids could, too. Specifically, Tareq thought the young women he met could benefit from boxing. Getting permission to train them meant a conversation with the local warlord. And that meant walking up to his home, and knocking on that door. Azim would get that approval. He would go on to train the first and only Afghani female boxer in Olympic history. He was 24 years old. Tareq returned to San Francisco and opened up a number of gyms to help others. Coming up with a name was easy: Empower. EMPOWER: Conquering the Disease of Fear is part memoir, part game plan. Reader's will draw strength from Azim's personal journey (a reflection of so many immigrants), and from the actionable ways in which he mentally and emotionally overcame fear, and not just quelling it-rather, harnessing its power to his advantage. Balancing Azim's narrative are a vibrant cast of characters and of case studies, each highlighting one of Azim's seven principles. They include Governor Gavin Newsome, former NFL star running back Marshawn Lynch, Representative Tulsi Gabbard, MMA star Jake Shields, and the owner of the San Francisco 49ers, Jed York, among others. Whether it's beating addiction, getting out of toxic relationships, or the pursuit of mental, spiritual, and physical strength, Azim can help readers identify their fears, and how to conquer them"--