Some things are bigger than competition, and ONE Women’s Atomweight World Champion Angela Lee has been focusing on them intently this year.
“Unstoppable” and all the Lee family, have faced the toughest challenges of their lives since losing Victoria Lee last December, and the tragedy has brought mental health to the forefront of the longtime atomweight queen’s mind.
Lee released a heartwrenching piece on The Player’s Tribune this week, in which she discussed an attempt to take her own life in 2017.
The mixed martial arts starlet was 20 years old at the time, and was preparing for a world title defense when news came through of her being involved in a car accident.
Reports back then stated that Lee had fallen asleep at the wheel on her way to the gym, but she revealed in the article that the incident was actually a suicide attempt.
After years of holding the true circumstances of the crash a secret between herself and her husband, former ONE athlete Bruno Pucci, Lee decided it was time to share it in the hopes of helping others.
She said, “It’s been six years, and although I’ve done a lot of growing and healing since then, it’s still difficult to think about, let alone talk about.
“Because I survived, it was difficult to go on and live life as normal because no one really knew what had happened.”
After revealing her own harrowing tale, Lee broke the devastating news that her younger sister Victoria’s passing in late December 2022 was a suicide.
That immense loss spurred the ONE world champion to want to support those around the world who may be struggling with mental health issues.
And, to honor Victoria’s passing, Lee announced that she has launched the non-profit organization Fightstory.
“Fightstory is a mental health non-profit organization created by combat athletes for fighters of all walks of life to share their story, inspire hope, and build a community for all to thrive in their mental and physical wellness journey. We believe stories can save lives,” she said.
“Fightstory was created because of Victoria. She was the most selfless person I knew. She would want her passing to mean something, to save lives.”
Understandably, Lee hasn’t been seen in the public eye since her last appearance in the Circle last October at ONE on Prime Video 2.
And in the wake of a fast-moving atomweight MMA division, an interim crown will be up for grabs between Stamp Fairtex and Ham Seo Hee in the main event of ONE Fight Night 14.
“Unstoppable’s” fighting future has been up in the air throughout her absence, but she will be in attendance at the September 30 event to provide a further update on her career.
