If she stands on her toes, she is probably 4 feet, 10 inches tall – maybe. For most of her life, she struggled to weigh in at 100 pounds. But when it comes to helping women and girls who are struggling, there is no one bigger or stronger.

Linda Cavaioli was born in Leominster in 1954 into a hard-working Italian-American family. She went to the University of New Hampshire, where she got a degree in social work. She hoped to become a juvenile court probation officer. But in those days, women seldom made it into any area of law enforcement.