Fightstory: Angela Lee wanted to create a safe space for people dealing with mental health issues

Angela Lee has battled through a lot of things throughout her mixed martial arts journey, including mental health and depression.

In past interviews, the longtime ONE atomweight MMA world champion touched on the difficulty of coping with her mental health issues, given the demands of her career.

Her latest account on her struggle shared on The Players’ Tribune on Tuesday, September 19, uncovered much more than just that.

Due to one reason or another, Angela Lee was forced to play down the subject in the past. After opening up on her car crash in 2017 and the passing of her 18-year-old sister Victoria, the weight on her shoulders has started to reduce.

In an exclusive interview with Daniel Cormier on ESPN, shortly after her first-person account was published, Lee spoke about her road to recovery and Fightstory, a mental health non-profit organization founded by the MMA superstar to help everyone thrive in their mental and physical wellness journey.

The Hawaii-based athlete said:

“I really believe that mental health is something that affects every single one of us, and we each deal with it in our own unique ways. And, you know, it's a spectrum. But I think it's important to come out and talk more about it because creating that environment where communication is open and safe and you feel okay to talk about what you're going through.”

“Because, you know, life is full of ups and downs, and when you hit a low, it can be really helpful. If you know that, you can open up and have someone to talk to about it.”

Watch the interview here:

In her own words, Angela Lee says Fightstory is the best way to carry on Victoria’s legacy and to build something positive in the aftermath of a devastating tragedy.

If you have suicidal thoughts or know someone who is experiencing them, help is available. In the US, call or text 988 or chat at 988lifeline.org for the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline. For a list of other nations’ helplines, see this page.