Philip Albenze

Pennsylvania · Western Pennsylvania · Pittsburgh

Motivational and addiction recovery speaker in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania

Pittsburgh is about an hour east of Phil's gym in Austintown, Ohio, closer than Columbus, where Otterbein University has had him back four times. Pittsburgh schools, recovery programs and workplaces get the whole story: twenty years of drinking, three DUIs, a shooting, and the day his son's tears sent him into a gym.

60 milesfrom Phil's home in Austintown to Pittsburgh
Allegheny County, PAPittsburgh's county
307,632people in Pittsburgh (Census estimate, July 1, 2025, U.S. Census Bureau)
Up to an hourper keynote or talk, for audiences of 50 to 600

Book Phil in Pittsburgh, PA Call (330) 314-0228

Phil speaking on a stage in front of a screen that reads BELIEVE

Why Pittsburgh groups book Phil Albenze

Phil's Masters boxing has already crossed paths with Pittsburgh: in February 2025 he was matched against Ed Boehler of Pittsburgh on a heavyweight card in Campbell, Ohio.

Phil drank for twenty years, held a job the whole time, picked up three DUIs and was shot on New Year's Eve 2002. In 2009 he weighed 304 pounds. He quit drinking cold turkey, lost about 140 pounds in a year, and became a champion natural bodybuilder and a personal trainer. For a Pittsburgh audience the story is close to home: he lives 60 miles away, in Austintown, Ohio.

Talks for Pittsburgh audiences

Recovery centers in PittsburghFor treatment programs and recovery groups in Allegheny County: twenty years of drinking, three DUIs, quitting cold turkey, and the twelve steps a year later. Schools in PittsburghFor Pittsburgh middle and high school assemblies: the shy kid, the liquid courage, the DUIs, and five lessons from a jail cell to the stage. Colleges in PittsburghFor Pittsburgh campuses: Phil has spoken four times at Otterbein University, about 200 students each time. Veterans in PittsburghFor Pittsburgh veterans' groups: Army, 1987 to 1993, and the twenty years after it. Workplaces in PittsburghFor Pittsburgh HR and wellness events: the functional alcoholic who never lost his job. He spoke to 600 at HRACO. Conferences in PittsburghA keynote of up to an hour for a Pittsburgh conference or association meeting. His largest audience so far: 600 at HRACO. Fitness events in PittsburghFor Pittsburgh gyms and wellness days: 304 pounds to 4.5% body fat, and Masters boxing past 50.

The books behind the Pittsburgh talk

Every talk Phil gives in Pittsburgh comes from his memoir The Black Sword (2025) and its sequel, After the Sword (2026). Pittsburgh hosts can order copies on Amazon for their audience.

Hear Phil before you book him in Pittsburgh

Every episode of Phil's podcast has its full transcript on this site, so a Pittsburgh event planner can hear exactly how this motivational speaker talks before booking him.

22 minBattling Addiction and Taking Your Life Back11 minFrom Jail Cell to Stage: 5 Takeaways11 minSmall Habits, Big Change

Addiction and recovery in Pittsburgh and Allegheny County

In Allegheny County, drug and alcohol services are coordinated by the Allegheny County Department of Human Services, Office of Behavioral Health.

The Allegheny County Medical Examiner recorded 432 accidental overdose deaths in 2024 (Allegheny County Medical Examiner, 2024 annual report). Phil drank for twenty years before he quit, and his message to people still inside it is the one he gives on his podcast: "If I could do this, anybody can."

What a Pittsburgh audience hears

Every talk is Phil's own story, the one in his memoir The Black Sword. The flyer for his 2019 evening at California Palms Addiction Recovery Campus described it as his story "of battling obesity and alcoholism to what motivated his transformation and commitment to helping others." Talks run up to an hour.

The turning point is the center of the story: his nine-year-old son crying at the doctor's office, and Phil pulling into a gym he had passed every day on his way to the liquor store and telling a stranger, "I need help." From there he talks about replacing one habit with another, cutting off the people who drag you back, and why asking for help was the hardest step for a man raised the way he was.

Phil in boxing gear ringside, getting a kiss on the cheek
Ringside at a Masters boxing card.

Where Phil has spoken

Phil has spoken at Otterbein University, the Human Resource Association of Central Ohio, California Palms Addiction & Recovery Center, the Mahoning County Career & Technical Center, Boardman Middle School, Hubbard High School, TCTC and the Rotary Club, to audiences from 50 to 600.

Pittsburgh schools, colleges and venues

Pittsburgh students are served by the Pittsburgh Public Schools; colleges in and around Pittsburgh include University of Pittsburgh, Carnegie Mellon University, Duquesne University; Pittsburgh event venues include David L. Lawrence Convention Center and PPG Paints Arena. Phil speaks to every kind of audience on that list, from a classroom to a conference hall.

Fort Pitt, named for British statesman William Pitt, was begun in 1759 at the forks of the Ohio, the spot now preserved as Point State Park; the British reached the site on November 25, 1758, two days after the French burned Fort Duquesne and left. (Pennsylvania DCNR, Point State Park).

Booking a motivational speaker in Pittsburgh

Phil gives a conference keynote, a school assembly, a recovery-group talk or a workplace session, each up to an hour. Pittsburgh is about 60 miles from his home in Austintown, inside the 200-mile area around Youngstown he focuses on, and he travels farther when an event needs him. His fee isn't published: send your Pittsburgh date, audience size and venue to ask.

As a speaker he has addressed audiences from 50 people at a Rotary Club to 600 at the Human Resource Association of Central Ohio, and Otterbein University has had him back four times.

Phil Albenze in the press, for Pittsburgh planners

Before you book a speaker in Pittsburgh, check the record. TRAIN magazine put his before-and-after on its cover. The Tribune Chronicle profiled him and The Black Sword. 21 News and The Vindicator reported on the blind client he trains.

  • Tribune Chronicle
  • TRAIN magazine
  • 21 News (WFMJ)
  • The Vindicator
  • Business Journal Daily

Read the press coverage

Talk topics for Pittsburgh events

Questions from Pittsburgh event planners

Does Phil Albenze travel to Pittsburgh?

Yes. Pittsburgh is about 60 miles from his home in Austintown, Ohio, inside the 200-mile area around Youngstown he focuses on.

How long is a talk in Pittsburgh?

Up to an hour, for a Pittsburgh classroom, a recovery group or a conference hall.

What does Phil talk about in Pittsburgh?

His own story, told for Pittsburgh audiences: twenty years of drinking, three DUIs, a shooting, 304 pounds, and the day his son's tears sent him into a gym. Then quitting cold turkey, natural bodybuilding, and helping others.

Can schools in Pittsburgh book Phil?

Yes. Pittsburgh middle schools, high schools, career centers and colleges can book him. He has spoken at Boardman Middle School, Hubbard High School and four times at Otterbein University.

Can recovery programs in Pittsburgh book Phil?

Yes. Pittsburgh treatment centers, recovery groups and county programs can book him. California Palms Addiction Recovery Campus in Austintown has hosted him three times.

Does Phil speak to veterans' groups in Pittsburgh?

Yes. Phil served in the US Army from 1987 to 1993 and speaks to Pittsburgh veterans' posts and programs about the drinking that took over after he came home.

Can Phil give a keynote at a conference in Pittsburgh?

Yes. He spoke to 600 people at the Human Resource Association of Central Ohio, and Pittsburgh conferences can book a keynote of up to an hour.

Is there a book to go with a talk in Pittsburgh?

Yes. The Black Sword is the story the talk comes from, and After the Sword is the sequel. Pittsburgh hosts can order copies through Amazon.

How do I book Phil for an event in Pittsburgh?

Send a message through this site with your Pittsburgh date, audience and venue, or call Body by Phil at (330) 314-0228.

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Motivational speaker in every city within 200 miles of Youngstown · Speaking

Book Phil Albenze in Pittsburgh

Send your date, audience and venue in Pittsburgh, or call (330) 314-0228.

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