E147 | Abbas Nazari

Episode summary | Abbas Nazari

Abbas Nazari has one of the most epic stories we’ve told. 

When the Taliban were at the height of their power in 2001, Abbas Nazari’s parents were faced with a choice: stay and face persecution in their homeland of Afghanistan or seek security for their young children elsewhere.

They chose to leave, and what happened next formed the storyline for his best-selling book After The Tampa. The journey from Afghanistan to Aotearoa New Zealand has to be heard to be believed!

Then after arriving in NZ as an eight-year-old who spoke no English, Abbas went on to place third in the New Zealand Spelling Bee a few years later, played rep rugby, graduated from the University of Canterbury, was awarded a Fulbright scholarship in Washington DC and now owns two gyms and is one of NZ’s most in-demand speakers.

He is a world-class storyteller, with one of the most incredible tales to tell. This was one of our favourite episodes we’ve done, and a real perspective shifter.

Show notes | Abbas Nazari

0:00 New Zealand’s most prolific speaker

3:14 Joke of the day

5:17 Bigger than Simon Bridges, Sir Steve Hansen, and Sonny Bill Williams

9:04 The process of putting the story together into a book

15:31 Growing up in Afghanistan and the coming of the Taliban

26:50 The journey to Indonesia via Pakistan

33:30 The decision to seek asylum

40:55 A trip across the Indian Ocean

56:04 The challenge in retelling the story

1:01:15 Reflections on a parent’s decision

1:09:17 Enter the MV Tampa

1:18:18 The diplomatic situation

1:27:42 Humble beginnings in New Zealand

1:33:19 The refugee story

1:38:15 Marrying outside of culture

1:43:09 Using health and fitness to create community

1:46:33 Interacting with refugee communities

1:49:16 Home?

1:50:22 Last words from Steve, Seamus, and Abbas