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Education & Certifications

Penn State University – B.S. in Exercise & Sport Science

Graduated with High Distinction & Student Marshal for Exercise Science Department

  • National Board Certified Health & Wellness Coach (NBC-HWC & ICHWC)
  • Functional Medicine Certified Heath Coach
  • NASM Certified Personal Trainer since 1994
  • NASM Weight Loss Specialist: All Ages
  • NASM Senior Fitness Specialist
  • NASM Women's Fitness Specialist: All Phases of a Woman's Life from Teen thru Menopause
  • Fundamentals of Rehabilitative Qigong & Tai Chi Certified
  • FMS Level 1 Certified
  • Balance Training Specialist - Former Competitive Gymnastics Coach & Choreographer
  • Attended Domestic Violence Educational Symposium
  • IL Dept. of DCFS Children & Family Services Children's Justice Task Force Training
  • Child Abuse & Neglect Training
  • NC Prevent Child Abuse Recognizing and Reporting Child Abuse and Neglect Training for Adults Working with Children
  • Certified NTA (Neurotoxic Assessment) Practitioner
  • HOPE for the Journey Conference : TBRI Training (Trust-Based Relational Interventions to enrich the lives of children, adolescents, and parents - especially children between the ages of 0-17 who have experienced adversity, early harm, toxic stress, and/or trauma)

Through all my children’s and my own struggles and triumphs, I am blessed with the gift of sharing the knowledge and wisdom I’ve learned to help you transform struggles & traumas into learning opportunities to help you get your health and life back, live a life true to you, and live your best life!

Health Coaching is my calling in this life, second only to being the best mom I can for my children. I’ve always had an innate love of everything healthy and helping others and did this through coaching gymnasts with a holistic approach to helping them overcoming fears and helping them and their families live healthy lifestyles for optimal sport performance. When I lost my health, my body, and my life to a gallbladder surgery that almost took my life at age 27 before I had my children, God put on my heart to help others in a new way – overcoming health and life struggles. Today, after the experiences of triumphing over many devastating health and life struggles my kids and I faced, I understand that throughout my life, God was preparing me for what he created me to do – guide, support, and empower adults, teens, children, and families with the tsunamis that life throws at us.  I will support you with loving-kindness while guiding you in developing habits and skills that resonate with you and help you achieve your goals.  Everything is tailored to you and/or your children’s needs with a focus on your strengths and what matters most to you in life!  I will help you transform your struggles into TRIUMPHS.

My children and I are alive today by the Grace of God and the passion He instilled in me from a very young age a desire for everything that nurtures health along with the wisdom and perseverance to search for the truth with healing when we fell through the cracks of the healthcare system, even Mayo Clinic and Lurie Children’s Hospital of Chicago. Being born with health issues, I had a rough start to life, but growing up on a farm with parents and grandparents that nurtured me with immense love, a positive mindset, and a healthy lifestyle instilled in me wisdom, resilience, and a strong Christian faith that I would need for the devastating health and life struggles/traumas that I, and later my children, would later face.  I have always had an innate love of health and fitness and helping others.  I am so grateful that I grew up on a farm, participated in 4-H, and enjoyed sports (gymnastics, basketball, track, and football cheerleading) through my freshman year of college. My experiences thus far have laid a foundation for the grit, grace and resilience I needed in life.

At age 27 (May 1993) I was a full-time gymnastics coach and choreographer and went in for a laparoscopic gallbladder surgery. I nearly died because the surgeon left 4+ liver bile ducts open leaking bile into my abdomen for an entire week as he claimed that I had a rare virus and denied that he could have made a mistake despite no tests confirming said “virus.” I suffered immensely with excruciating burning abdominal pain, had a severe allergic reaction to Cat Scan Dye that caused blindness in my right eye for many hours, excruciating head and eye pain, and severe vomiting uncontrollable with medications, excruciating pain due to pancreatitis caused by 2 endoscopes looking for bile leaks, and I was put on a feeding tube. Then fluid aspirated from my abdomen, enough to fill a large emesis basin, proved there were liver bile duct leaks from the gallbladder surgery. Seven days after the gallbladder surgery, I underwent exploratory abdominal surgery to save my life by closing the many bile ducts left leaking into my abdomen. Unable to move, barely able to speak, tears streamed down my face not knowing if I would survive the surgery and praying to God expressing my sorrow of never having the experience of being a mom, my life-long dream, but grateful for all the good I experienced in life and accepting God’s will if it was my time to go. I lost my health, my body, and my life. 

My healing journey was extremely difficult on so many levels. My first goal was being able to open the front door and to walk down the block. When Mayo Clinic wasn’t able to help me except telling me to stop eating foods that triggered pain and symptoms, I delved into research on my own and got my health and life back through alternative and holistic healing methods while learning to listen to my body, live a life true to who God made me to be, and trust God; my guide for healing. All that I was learning was actually just a deeper knowledge and wisdom of what I learned growing up on the farm. I turned to the Lord which led me to qigong and holistic healing experts like Dr. Bernie Siegel and Marianne Williamson. With a deeper dive into research, alternative healing methods, lifestyle changes, and the blessing of guidance from the Lord, herbalists, a holistic nutritionist, and finally a very wise doctor who discovered that my fragile state of health with chronic life-threatening illnesses and conditions were because I had celiac disease with symptoms that were very rare. Ever since, I have devoted my life to helping others improve their health and well-being. I felt a strong calling on my heart from the Lord to guide others with what I had learned about healing through this traumatic journey, so I followed a new path to guide, support, and empower others through their health and life struggles/traumas.

Then I was blessed with 2 children I absolutely adore! During the birth of my first child, Austin, the joy and excitement turned quickly as Austin and I fought for our lives. We survived by the grace of God, the phenomenal neonatologists, and my incredible doctor stopping my severe hemorrhaging. During my 2nd pregnancy, I began to have additional health issues again, and my health spiraled downward for about 10 years, until I finally found 2 doctors, and a combination of things instrumental in getting my health back: a holistic nutritionist, herbalists, along with years of delving into research to find answers to my health and my children’s health issues when the doctors could do no more for us.  Everything in my life has been integral in my preparation to become a health and wellness coach.  Helping people get their health and life back is what God created me to do.

Based on each of my children’s unique needs for their health, well-being, and education, we did a combination of public, private, and homeschooling.  They both were twice exceptional with extraordinary gifts/strengths in certain academic subjects along with some learning struggles in other areas. Some of the health issues my children have experienced and managed through holistic practices are…

  • Dyslexia
  • Handwriting difficulties
  • Auditory processing difficulties
  • ADD
  • ADHD
  • Joint pain
  • Adverse vaccine reactions
  • Surgeries that came with complications
  • Executive functioning struggles
  • Anaphylactic tree nut allergy
  • Severe migraines
  • Asthma
  • Eczema 
  • Idiopathic liver problems
  • Severe allergies and sensitivities (foods, chemicals and environmental)
  • Ehlers Danlos syndrome (EDS)
  • Traumatic Brain Injury with Severe Neck Injury

Some of the health issues I have experienced and managed through holistic practices…

  • Multiple surgeries (One surgery was during my childhood)
  • Chronic life threatening viruses and respiratory infections requiring chronic steroid use
  • Low white blood cell count  (oncologist/hematologist recommended a bone marrow biopsy)
  • Hospitalized for Pneumonia & took 3 months to recover
  • Wore Club Foot Metal Brace 24/7 as baby at age learning to stand
  • Fibromyalgia, chronic severe fatigue, weakness & severe pain
  • Rheumatoid arthritis symptoms (due to a virus/vaccine reaction)
  • Celiac disease
  • Idiopathic Gum Recession (required several surgeries)
  • Kidney Stones – 1 Surgery then Learned Herbal Rememdy
  • Corrected Trigger Fingers Without Surgery with Self-Myofascial Release
  • Dental Cavities even with superb oral care
  • Severe allergies and sensitivities (foods, chemicals, and environmental)
  • Chronic uncontrollable adult onset asthma
  • Chronic severe joint pain
  • Gallbladder Surgery & 1 week Later Exploratory Abdominal Surgery to Fix Multiple Bile Leaks
  • Pregnancy and childbirth complications

Life has thrown us so many life traumas as well, with tragic deaths, domestic abuse, loss of a job to a lay off and then due to a flu vaccine mandate to name a few. I had an AHA moment, realizing that throughout my whole life, God was preparing me for what he created me to do – guide, support, and empower adults, teens, children, and families in navigating devastating health and life struggles by helping them gain the knowledge, skills, habits, and wisdom to triumph over whatever life throws at them.

Each person’s health journey is unique, so I tailor health coaching to you!  I provide you with exceptional support and resources helping you develop new skills and lifestyle habits that resonate with you and align with your goals and what matters most to you in life!  Wherever you are on your journey, it is my honor & privilege to walk with you, as your guide, supporting you every step of the way.

Volunteer Experiences Through The Years

Special Olympics Gymnastics Competition: Site Coordinator 1989 in State College, PA

Holy Family Catholic Church: Co-Led Middle School Faith Group, Inverness, IL       

St. Joseph’s Catholic Church:  Co-Led Grief Support Group & Taught Children’s Liturgy of the Word, Marion, IL

Blessed Sacrament Catholic Church:  Family Based Religious Education, Burlington, NC 

Bellemont Methodist Church: Adult and children’s groups and activities. Burlington, NC

​My Children’s Grade Schools:  Reading, Science, Math, History, and Art Enhanced Curriculum & Learning Activities (IL)

My Children’s Grade Schools:  Cafeteria and Lunch Room Supervision (IL)

Foglia YMCA Basketball Co-Coach for My Daughter’s Team.

BASA Rec Soccer Coach for My Son’s Team in Barrington, IL

​Team Smile at Olivet Nazarene University in Bourbonnais, IL: Helping provide children in need with free dental care and education in a fun atmosphere. 

​Home of the Sparrow Women and Children’s Shelter:  Health & Well-Being Workshops for Women Living at the Shelter (IL)

Qigong in the Garden: Alamance Community College 2022

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Additional Organizations

In addition to my specialized certifications, my own experiences have equipped me with expertise as a health & wellness coach to help individuals and families dealing with stress, celiac disease, gluten intolerance, food & environmental allergies, asthma, arthritis, autoimmune diseases, chronic fatigue,chronic pain, fibromyalgia, acid reflux, Parkinson’s Disease, and domestic abuse as well as recovery from surgery, frequent illnesses, and post-rehabilitation of injuries.  

NBC
FMC
NASM
NCPFF

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​*A Health Coach is your personal ally providing professional guidance and support and is not intended to substitute professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment.  Always seek the advice of your physician or medical professional with questions regarding a medical condition.

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Copyright 2024 Alicia Schoolman, ALL RIGHTS RESERVED

I make donations to St. Jude’s Children’s Hospital, North Carolina Physicians For Freedom, Stand for Health Freedom, Truth for Health Foundation, and America’s Frontline Doctors.  I also support local & small family farmers across America who don’t use pesticides or herbicides as well as Military Veteran owned and Christian owned businesses and organizations. 

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