On December 26, 2022, Victoria Sun-hei Lee, an accomplished American mixed martial artist who participated in the ONE Championship, met an untimely demise. Before her untimely demise, it was revealed that her sister, the ONE atomweight MMA champion Angela Lee, admitted that the car accident that prompted her to withdraw from the November 2017 title defense was, in fact, a suicide attempt.
The disclosure illuminated the profound emotional challenges faced by both sisters, emphasizing the criticality of promoting mental health consciousness and providing assistance in the realm of professional athletics. The departure of Victoria Lee serves as a somber reminder of the difficulties that athletes may have to endure in silence.
Victoria Lee’s Depression Led To Her Death
Victoria Lee succumbed to her tragic demise on December 26, 2022, at the tender age of eighteen. However, until January 7, 2023, when her elder sister Angela Lee announced it via Instagram, was this information public. Angela revealed in a heartbreaking revelation that the automobile accident that prevented her from defending her title in November 2017 was, in fact, a suicide attempt and not an accident, as had been initially reported.
Victoria courageously disclosed the distressing veracity in a Players’ Tribune article entitled “Resilient,” which was published six years ago: she attempted suicide at the age of 21. Angela was preparing for her title defense against Mei Yamaguchi in Singapore at the time. Nonetheless, she was involved in a vehicle accident in Hawaii, where she suffered back injuries, minor burns, and concussions.
Previously attributing the collision to driver fatigue, she has since confessed unequivocally that it was a suicide attempt. Angela’s candid admission illuminated the tremendous stress, anxiety, and expectations she encountered at the tender age of 20 as the youngest female world champion in mixed martial arts. Her weight-loss difficulties in preparation for her bout with Yamaguchi exacerbated her emotional burden.
She refrained from disclosing her inner turmoil to anyone for fear of disappointing her family. The disclosure of Victoria Lee’s suicide and Angela’s struggle with mental health underscores the criticality of confronting such concerns and seeking assistance when necessary, even within the demanding realm of professional athletics. This incident serves as a poignant reminder of the concealed hardships that some people may face, emphasizing the importance of addressing mental health issues openly.
Victoria Lee Mental Health Before Death
The premature demise of Victoria Lee, an accomplished ONE atomweight mixed martial arts competitor, reverberated across the sports community in December 2022. She died when she was only eighteen years old. Angela Lee, the elder sister of Victoria and a former ONE Atomweight MMA World Champion, courageously revealed the tragic reality surrounding Victoria’s demise in a video that evoked deep emotion and sincerity.
She disclosed that Victoria’s demise was attributable to suicide, thereby illuminating the profound ramifications that can arise from mental health challenges among adolescent athletes. In addition to her disclosure, Angela revealed that she had managed to survive a suicide attempt in 2017, an event that she had diligently concealed for an extended period. Angela’s video functioned as a potent medium to create consciousness regarding mental health difficulties prevalent in the sports community, effectively shattering the societal taboo about these matters.
She detailed the challenges she faced in disclosing her personal experience and the emotional toll it endured. Having kept her struggles a secret from the majority of individuals, she confided in Bruno Pucci, her spouse and a former ONE athlete. In remembrance of Victoria and to tackle mental health issues within the sports industry, Ange founded the nonprofit Fightstory.
Established by combat athletes for combatants of diverse backgrounds, this initiative offers a secure environment wherein members can divulge their personal experiences, instill optimism, and cultivate a community that is empathetic towards their mental and physical health. Angela is convinced that narratives are capable of preserving lives. By effecting a constructive change in the wake of this catastrophic event, she hopes that Fightstory can continue Victoria’s legacy.
The demise of Victoria Lee serves as a poignant illustration of the criticality of placing mental health as a top priority and seeking assistance when necessary, particularly among the youth athletic community who may encounter exceptional pressures and obstacles. By candidly documenting her struggles and founding Fightstory, Angela Lee demonstrates her unwavering dedication to averting analogous catastrophes and advocating for mental health within the athletic community.
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