“To strip away that armor” – Angela Lee says main purpose of opening up about mental health is to raise awareness on the subject

Last year, ‘Unstoppable’ Angela Lee revealed to the world that she had been struggling with mental health for many years.

The former ONE atomweight MMA world champion is inarguably one of the greatest female fighters in the sport's history. But while fighting battles on martial arts’ biggest stage, she was fighting another battle that none of us knew about.

In a video released late last year, Lee shared with the world that in November 2017, a car accident she was involved in was actually an attempt to take her own life.

It was a startling revelation made all the more heartbreaking by the fact that Angela Lee lost her little sister, Victoria Lee, less than a year prior. Appearing on the Keep It Aloha podcast, Lee revealed why she decided to share her story with the world and the good she hopes can come from it.

“What I wanted to do with that video that we put out is really just, you know, to strip away that armor and come to a place where you know I can speak to everyone and say that look, you know, even though I'm this or that whatever, we're all human,” Lee said.

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Angela Lee starts a new legacy in honor of her sister

In honor of her late sister, Angela Lee established Fightstory, a non-profit mental health organization dedicated to honoring Victoria’s memory by sharing the stories of fighters from all walks of life.

“This is just what it means to be human, you know? You see the good, the bad, the pretty, and the ugly,” Lee added. “All of that in one. You can't have one without the other. But having that balance in life is crucial.”

After nearly a decade of dominance in mixed martial arts, Angela Lee walked away from the sport, laying down her gloves and her gold at ONE Fight Night 14 in September last year.

Today, she is focused on building Fighstory and raising her daughter, Ava Marie.

To learn how you can share your story and join the fight, visit Fightstory on Instagram.