Paige VanZant has spoken of her troubled high school years before, but often evasively. Described by herself as “a rough few years” in the past, VanZant graduated high school at just 16 to get away from persistent bullying, even going so far as to change her name.
However, in her recently released memoir, Rise: Suriving the Fight of My Life, VanZant revealed the full and shattering circumstances of her trauma during those formative years. The notable UFC flyweight fighter and Dancing With the Stars competitor was the victim of sexual assault by a group of men.