Ed Latimore | Heavyweight Boxer, Author, and Physics Graduate
Keynote speaker on resilience, identity, and peak performance. Trusted by TEDx, Penguin Random House, Bisnow, Pace University, and the One Utah Summit.
Ed Latimore is a professional heavyweight boxer (14-1-1), U.S. Army veteran, and the author of Sober Letters to My Drunken Self (2018) and Hard Lessons From The Hurt Business: Boxing and the Art of Life (Penguin Random House, 2025). He also holds a degree in physics from Duquesne University.
Raised in the projects of Pittsburgh, Ed overcame poverty, fatherlessness, and addiction before forging a championship career in the boxing ring. After nearly nine years away from the sport, he returned at age 40 to score a first-round TKO — proving that resilience and discipline can overcome any odds.
Beyond the ring, Ed has built an online audience of hundreds of thousands through his writing on resilience, sobriety, and personal growth. He has spoken for organizations including Bisnow, the One Utah Summit (where organizers pre-ordered 800 copies of his book for attendees), Pace University, and the University of South Carolina football team. His work has been featured by TEDx, the Manhattan Institute and he has been profiled by The South China Morning Post, The Epoch Times., American Chess Magazine, and Chess Life.
Ed has also appeared on major podcasts, including Real Talk with Zuby, The Learning Leader with Ryan Hawk, The Pomp Podcast with Anthony Pompliano, Infinite Loops with Jim O’Shaughnessy, The James Altucher Show, The Art of Manliness, The Dr. Drew Podcast, and Order of Man with Ryan Michler.
Ed is represented in publishing by William Morris Endeavor (WME), one of the world’s premier literary agencies.
Learn more about Ed’s story through these documentaries.
Key Audience Takeaways From Ed’s Signature Keynote:
Hard Lessons From the Hurt Business: 4 Principles To Make Everlasting Change
Control What You Can Control
Ed shows you how to stop wasting energy on things outside your influence and focus on what you can change right now. This shift creates momentum and builds confidence.
- Recognize the difference between controllable and uncontrollable factors
- Redirect wasted effort into actions that create immediate progress
- Apply a physics-based framework for maximizing impact with minimal wasted energy
Face the Truth Head-On
Lasting change begins with brutal honesty. Ed teaches how to confront the real problem instead of hiding behind excuses or distractions.
- Learn the cost of ignoring reality—and how to pay less by acting early
- Break the cycle of denial and self-sabotage
- Use candid self-assessment to unlock growth and resilience
Bet on Yourself
Ed’s story proves that risk is the price of reward. By investing in yourself—even when resources are scarce—you can transform obstacles into opportunities.
- Discover how to make bold moves that accelerate growth
- Build confidence by taking calculated risks on your potential
- Shift from being a passive player in someone else’s game to creating your own winning odds
Redefine Your Identity
Discipline and motivation fade—but identity endures. Ed shows why the fastest way to lasting change is to change who you believe you are.
- Replace self-limiting labels with empowering identities
- Learn why identity shifts outlast willpower and resolutions
- Adopt the mindset of a fighter: someone who acts from strength, not desperation
The Fight Plan
Audiences leave with a clear, actionable framework:
- Control what you can
- Tell the Truth
- Bet on Yourself
- Change Your Identity
Through gripping personal stories—from street fights to the boxing ring, from addiction to sobriety—Ed equips audiences with tools to face their own battles, make decisive changes, and emerge stronger than ever.
Ed Latimore spoke to my students in the Larry H. and Gail Miller Center for Entrepreneurship. The entire time he spoke, Ed was in command of the room and the students were wholly absorbed by his words. His talk was great for young entrepreneurs but is relevant to any group with obstacles to overcome. Outside of the talk, Ed was highly personable and approachable; happy to take pictures with students and taking an interest in them. Several students have personally thanked me for Ed’s visit and the impact it had on them. I personally had high expectations for Ed’s talk, and my expectations were exceeded.
Extend the Impact with Ed’s Book
At the 2025 One Utah Summit, organizers pre-ordered 800 copies of Ed’s memoir for attendees and hosted a signing event.
Recently, Pace University and The Manhattan Institute ordered 100 copies along with bringing him in to speak. Your organization can do the same to make the keynote experience unforgettable.
Learn how to punch from a real professional boxer
Want Ed to put your group through a boxing session? Let’s discuss how I can add this to the keynote experience.