Angela Lee, a former superstar of ONE Championship who just announced her retirement from the organization, believes that it is equally as vital for fighters to surround themselves with people who can act as their emotional support system in order to keep them on an even keel.
Speaking from personal experience, “Unstoppable” stated that it is extremely beneficial for fighters to have someone with whom they can discuss their ideas while they are on their trip, as this may assist them in avoiding hitting their “breaking point.”
It is something that she said she did not have for a significant portion of her career, which nearly cost her life when she attempted to commit suicide back in 2017 by intentionally crashing her car because she felt that things in her professional career were just too much for her to take. She said that she believed things in her professional career had gotten to the point where they were just too much for her to bear.
Angela Lee highlighted this vital aspect of one’s fighting career by saying the following in an interview that she gave on The Aloha Hour:
“It is quite challenging to establish such an atmosphere. I was explaining that although I have loving parents and a caring family, I still did not feel it was safe to open up and share these things that were going through my head as well as how I was feeling.And as for myself, when I think back on all of the numerous things that contributed to the way I felt, I realize that I eventually reached the point where I broke.
Take a look at the interview down below:
Now that she is retired, Angela Lee wants to use the newly established non-profit organization she founded called Fightstory to strengthen the support network within the community of people who participate in combat sports. The purpose of the initiative is to provide assistance to others who, like her, are coping with issues related to their mental health as they move through life.
The former ONE women’s atomweight mixed martial arts world champion stated that in order to accomplish their objectives, they are seeking input from a variety of specialists in order to receive knowledgeable counsel and direction.
Angela Lee was overjoyed to report that the reception of Fightstory has been positive, with many people expressing a readiness to assist in any capacity that may be required.
At ONE Fight Night 14 on Prime Video on September 29 in Singapore, Lee, who is 27 years old, made the announcement that she will be retiring from the sport. In 2016, she won the ONE Welterweight Championship and has since successfully defended her belt five times.
But before she made the announcement that she was leaving the game, she was already on a hiatus that she had self-imposed following the tragic loss of her younger sister and fellow ONE fighter Victoria Lee, who took her own life at the age of 18 in December of last year. Before she made the announcement, she was already on the break.
Fightstory was likewise founded with the intention of paying tribute to the young warrior’s memory.
