A New Echo
Unsinkable Storyteller: Olivia Pillai
This Unsinkable story discusses eating disorders. We invite our community to read it only if it's the right time for them! If you're struggling, please reach out to the Crisis Text Line or Kids Help Phone or check out our resources on mind-body wellness.
Meet Olivia: a past elementary school teacher at HPEDSB and an outdoor education instructor at Limestone District School Board with a passion for creating engaging and inclusive learning environments. She holds a Bachelor of Arts in Contemporary Studies with a major in Children's Studies from Wilfrid Laurier University, a Police Foundations Diploma from Loyalist College, and a Law and Security Diploma from Mohawk College. Olivia is also certified as a primary teacher by Brock University. Her diverse educational background has equipped her with a unique perspective on teaching and learning, allowing her to connect with students from various backgrounds and interests. Olivia is committed to fostering a love for learning and promoting social-emotional growth among my students. She also volunteers with NIED (National Initiative for Eating Disorders ), and in fall 2026, will be publishing a middle-grade novel with Cormorant Press, "Catch, Drive, Release, Recover.” This book follows a 12-year-old girl, a rower, who develops an eating disorder. Unlike its contemporaries, Olivia prioritized writing a trigger-free narrative.
In this stunning spoken word performance, Olivia creates a new echo for us—one to challenge the voice that repeats: "Your worth is measured in pounds."
Gently, Olivia guides us through memory and lived experience that reminds us worth is never earned. Together, we revisit school hallways, being asked to open fashion week in New Zealand, pool parties, arguments, heartbreak, and how an interaction with her husband led her to seek help for the first time.
Olivia is generous in illustrating the body shame path—and its devastating echo—that so many of us, particularly women, become trapped on. With her words, she offers another echo to listen to instead—a powerful, kind, and unflinching voice that will repeat: "Your worth is immeasurable. You are a person, not just a body."
Connect with Olivia:
@olee_q on Instagram,
@nied_ca on Instagram
Keep an eye out for Olivia's middle-grade novel, "Catch, Drive, Release, Recover,” from Cormorant Press in fall 2026.
