MILWAUKEE — Ahmad Mokhtar Rezaei finds solace in boxing, a hobby he adopted after arriving in Wisconsin two years ago.

“It gives me strength,” Ahmad said.

When he’s not at the gym, he’s likely at home writing. He said he has a passion for telling stories.

Ahmad was a news reporter in Kabul, the capital of Afghanistan, which fell to the Taliban in 2021.

“Afghanistan is one of the most dangerous countries in the world for journalists to work,” he said. “They can be subject to torture and beatings by the terrorist group.”

Ahmad was advised to leave his homeland after the Taliban re-established control of Afghanistan. As part of the U.S. Refugee Resettlement Program, he ended up in Milwaukee.

“Everything is different in the United States, and I am so excited for living here because I started a new season of my life,” he said.

His positive attitude helped Ahmad rise above the challenges of adjusting to a new life, language and culture away from his family and friends. He attends classes at Milwaukee Area Technical College and found a job working in a local warehouse.

In his spare time over the past few years, Ahmad wrote a book, “How to Turn Failure into Success: Today is the Day to Start Believing in Yourself.” He got help publishing it, and it is now available on Amazon. 

Ahmad said it’s a full-circle moment for him.

“I have believed in myself,” Ahmad said. “I believe in having a full life. I believe in my goals and dreams. That is one of the reasons I wake up in the morning and keep moving forward.”