THIS KID. THE CATERPILLAR.
Our beloved Alicia was a quiet kid with her nose in a book most of the time, but around age eight, she became a full throttle extrovert. Silence was uncomfortable for her, so she tried to make everyone around her happy ... all the time. Her parents placed her in french immersion from kindergarten through to her final year in high school... so yes, she spoke French. Alicia was thirteen when she volunteered at the West Scarborough Boys & Girls Club and realized that giving back was always going to be a part of her life. She went on to study international business and secretly fell in love with global economics. Alicia’s Mandarin teacher told her he appreciated her positive attitude and grit, but she “should drop his class and take Spanish”... for some time, Alicia regretted quitting something because someone else thought it would be too hard for her.
THE COCOON.
In her late twenties, Alica came to the realization that she had built her life on other people's expectations, so she set about rebuilding her life on her own terms. Alicia found professional success in the luxury industry in Toronto, London and Paris, but deep in her heart, she knew that the luxury field wasn't her calling. She wanted to help people and didn't know where to start; so, she volunteered as an ambassador for the Canadian Women's Foundation, finally getting closer to what made her happy. Out of personal interest, she began studying holistic nutrition, meditation, yoga and eastern philosophies. Alicia found so many answers to her own life's questions that she became passionate about sharing what she was learning with other women ... with curiosity, humility and joy, Alicia had stumbled upon her calling.
THE TEACHER. THE BUTTERFLY.
Every day, Alicia taught the benefits of meditation and mindfulness, holistic wellness, yoga and conscious living - she was so grateful to get to do the work she did! She created Meditation Pusher to teach people the profound benefits of having a daily meditation practice to help access inner peace, activate personal power and unlock potential.
THE FOREVER STUDENT
In June of 2022, Alicia was diagnosed with Stage IV Ovarian Cancer. For seven gruelling months, she underwent intense chemotherapy, major surgery and what often felt like a baptism by fire. During that time, Alicia wrote her first book Meditation Pusher Volume 001: The Future We Make and began reimagining her work. While she was in remission for the early part of 2023 cancer returned in June 2023 and on December 20th, 2024, after intensive emergency spinal surgery and eight rounds of stereotactic radiation, Alicia died surrounded by the love she gave. Daughter. Sister. Auntie. Stepmother. Teacher. Student. Writer. Meditation Pusher. Writer. Mentor. Friend. Radiant like the sun. Her second book, which she was working on in the weeks before her death will be available in Autumn 2025; the Theine Foundation is still very much a part of her legacy.
