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  • 🤽 Mary Davis: A Lifelong Commitment to Special Olympics Leadership

🤽 Mary Davis: A Lifelong Commitment to Special Olympics Leadership

PLUS: A Lemongrass Meatball Lettuce Cups Recipe

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Live Well Now
January 18, 2024

Welcome To The Most Read Women’s Empowerment Newsletter!

Today On the Menu:

👩‍🎓 Today In Women’s History: Celebrating Damaris Cudworth

💪 Motivation: Mary Davis: A Lifelong Commitment to Special Olympics Leadership

🍎 The Health Corner: Lemongrass Meatball Lettuce Cups Recipe

PLUS: This Week’s Giveaway

Read Time: 3 Mins

On This Day In Women’s History:

January 18, 1659: Damaris Cudworth was born.

Damaris Cudworth, Lady Masham was an English writer, philosopher, theologian, and advocate for women's education who is often characterized as a proto-feminist. She overcame some weakness of eyesight and lack of access to formal higher education to win high regard among eminent thinkers of her time.

Mary Davis: A Lifelong Commitment to Special Olympics Leadership

In her 50s, Mary Davis achieved an extraordinary milestone, ascending to the position of regional president for Special Olympics Europe and Eurasia, where she assumed responsibility for overseeing 58 countries across Europe and Central Asia. A true testament to her tenacity, Davis continued her ascent, becoming the CEO of Special Olympics International after crossing the threshold of 60.

Davis's journey to leadership was akin to scaling a mountain—literally. Invited by then-French President Nicolas Sarkozy to climb Mont Blanc during a European diplomatic event in 2008, she utilized the challenging summit to forge essential political and policy connections that would later contribute to her influential role.

As the CEO, Davis manages a global team of 250 professionals dedicated to supporting the 5.3 million athletes and Unified partners participating in the 108,000 annual Special Olympics competitions worldwide.

Her involvement with the Special Olympics spans an impressive four decades, rooted in her initial commitment as a volunteer coach following her college graduation. Notably, Davis brought the first Special Olympics World Summer Games outside of the U.S. to her native Ireland in 2003, leaving an indelible mark on the organization's global footprint. Mary Davis's story exemplifies unwavering dedication and impactful leadership in the realm of Special Olympics, making her a beacon of inspiration for athletes and advocates alike.

Until tomorrow,

Emma, Live Well Now Team

❝

Without an open-minded mind, you can never be a great success.”

- Martha Stewart

LEMONGRASS MEATBALL LETTUCE CUPS TO TRY

👍 Live Well Now Approved

You Will Need:

2 pounds ground chicken or pork

1 (5-inch) piece lemongrass, tough outer parts removed, minced (see Note)

⅓ cup + 1 tablespoon packed light brown sugar

2 teaspoons kosher salt

2 tablespoons minced garlic

4 teaspoons minced fresh ginger

⅓ cup low-sodium soy sauce or tamari

3 tablespoons rice vinegar

1 teaspoon sriracha

3 teaspoons toasted sesame oil

1 to 2 heads butter, bibb, or Boston lettuce (about 20 leaves)

Shredded red cabbage, for serving

¼ cup roughly chopped fresh herbs, such as mint, basil, and cilantro, for serving

Green Onion Oil

1 bunch green onions, white and green parts, trimmed and thinly sliced

2 tablespoons vegetable oil

1 tablespoon soy sauce or tamari

1 tablespoon rice vinegar

1 tablespoon fish sauce

2 teaspoons minced garlic

2 teaspoons minced peeled fresh ginger

Directions:

1. Make the meatballs. In a large bowl, combine the ground chicken with the lemongrass, 1 tablespoon of the brown sugar, salt, 1 tablespoon of the garlic, and 3 teaspoons of the ginger. Mix well, then with wet hands, form golf ball–size meatballs (about 2 tablespoons each) and place on a plate. You should have about 24 meatballs.

2. In a medium bowl, stir together the remaining ⅓ cup brown sugar, soy sauce, rice vinegar, the remaining 1 tablespoon garlic, the remaining 1 teaspoon ginger, the sriracha, and ½ teaspoon of the sesame oil.

3. Heat the remaining 2½ teaspoons of sesame oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Once the oil is glistening, add the meatballs in a single layer. Cook, undisturbed, until the meatballs are just browned on the bottom, about 3 minutes. Turn them carefully and cook to brown the opposite side, about 3 minutes. Add the soy sauce mixture to the skillet and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to medium-low to simmer. Cover and cook until the meatballs are cooked through, 5 to 7 minutes or until the meatballs reach 165°F on an instant read thermometer. Remove lid, transfer the meatballs to a plate. Continue simmering the sauce until it is thick enough to coat the back of a spoon, about 5 minutes more. Transfer the sauce to a small bowl for serving.

4. Meanwhile, make the green onion oil. In a small bowl, stir together the green onions, vegetable oil, soy sauce, vinegar, fish sauce, garlic, and ginger to combine.

5. To serve, divide the meatballs between the lettuce leaves. Sprinkle them with the herbs and drizzle them with the brown sugar sauce and green onion oil.

Cook Time: 20mins | Servings: 6

Calories: 327 cals | 33g Protein | 19g Carbs | 14g Fat

THIS WEEK’S GIVEAWAY

This week, we will be gifting a Shower Organizer 5 Pack to one of the dedicated readers of our newsletter. The lucky winner of this week’s prize will be announced and contacted tomorrow.

Editor’s Note:

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Emma,

Live Well Now Team

Empowering Women Over 40 since 2020