Tonight we give you the third and final installment in our in-depth feature on Joanne Missingham, Taiwan’s top female Go player. We pick up with her mother’s death from cancer, which dealt a devastating blow to Joanne. For eight months, she was unable to play the game she loved. But when she did emerge from her grief, her career took off in ways she could never have imagined. Join us for the journey in our Sunday special report.

Early summer, 2014. Joanne’s mother, Hei Nan-ping, feels unwell. At first, she thought she’d just caught a cold. But medical tests revealed it was very serious. She had acute leukemia.

Hsuan-hsuan Missingham
Sister of Joanne Missingham
It’s scary to hear the word “cancer.” I thought, in that situation, I should be able to comfort her. But, actually, she comforted me. She said, “Don’t worry.” “Carry on with your studies in the U.S.” “People will take care of mom in Taiwan.”

Joanne’s dad and sister came to join them in Taiwan. The whole family took turns caring for Nan-ping, whose health rapidly deteriorated. She passed away after 10 months of treatment.

Joanne Missingham
Taiwan Go player
I brought things that I had learned in Go into my life. For example, I can respond calmly to whatever I meet in life. Immediately, I think about how to resolve this problem that has appeared. I don’t get panicky or anxious about the problem.

Chou Chun-hsun
The “Red-faced Go Master”
I think her mom wasn’t just a mom. They were like friends. She was her mom and her friend, her best partner. Because, when Joanne came back to Asia to train, her mom was almost always by her side. In Taiwan and in China, every day, Joanne always faced the pressure of Go games, and the pain of defeats. Her greatest spiritual support was her mom. So, losing her mom was a great blow.

After Nan-ping’s death, Joanne’s father and sister returned to the U.S. leaving Joanne by herself in Taiwan. But she didn’t have a trusted confidante. At one time, she turned away from Go,and withdrew into herself.

Hsuan-hsuan Missingham
Sister of Joanne Missingham
She didn’t compete for eight long months. It was a big deal. Perhaps, in those conditions, she couldn’t calm herself down enough to play Go.

Joanne Missingham
Taiwan Go player
I fell into a long low period, I suppose. Before that, I guess I was someone who was taken great care of by my mom. My mom arranged my whole schedule for me, and helped me manage everything. So, when she was gone, it was very hard to bear, but also, I felt forced to grow up. After that, I had to find a way to manage everything for myself.

After almost a year of quitting, Joanne gradually emerged from her sorrow. In 2015, she began to retrace her steps on the international Go circuit and to win. She finally gained the 7 dan ranking, making her Taiwan’s highest-ranked female player.

In 2016, Joanne and Chen Shih-yuan represented Taiwan as a doubles team at the World Cup in Japan. They made a splash in the world of Go, and were on the cover of an airline magazine. Suddenly, Joanne was spotted by a talent scout. Her stardom was about to grow.

Felix Wu
Seed Music chair
I was on a flight back to Taiwan, and I saw her interview in the airline magazine. I looked at how the photo was taken, and thought, “It looks like she doesn’t have an agent.” The photo made her look sort of mature and foxy. But that’s not how I saw her, at all. I guessed she didn’t have an agent to help her with the entertainment business. So, straight away, I asked some of our people to get in touch with her Go association.

In late 2016, Joanne entered the world of entertainment, a whole new realm. She was a newbie in show business, but her sweetness and beauty and Go fame quickly won her contracts as an ambassador for scooters, cosmetics, and video games.

Felix Wu
Seed Music chair
I thought it was just a matter of time. She was always going to be discovered by the media. and become famous across Asia. And that’s what happened. But if nobody had helped her manage it… She told me, “When I head out to Go matches,” “it’s dawn, I don’t have time for styling my hair.” I said, “You need to pay attention to this.” Because she’s representing the whole of Taiwan, it’s even about Taiwan’s image. Someone needs to help her manage it. We’re just helping her with that.

Joanne Missingham
Taiwan Go player
The day before the shoot, I went to a posing class. The teacher gave me some hints on how to pose. At first, I felt a bit out of place, a bit nervous. But the photographer guided me, made me laugh. So then I started to relax.

With support and promotion from her agency, Joanne was inundated with work. But she didn’t get complacent. Rather, it brought out her unique humility.

Felix Wu
Seed Music chair
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