This talented young lady is more than just a pretty face.
If there’s one thing that has the power to stop the Internet, it’s good-looking women doing things. In the past we’ve seen volleyball players, saxophonists and nurses attract attention from admirers around the world, and now there’s a young woman being deemed so attractive by people in Japan that they’ve elevated her to the ranks of a “once-in-a-thousand-year beauty”.
Joanne Missingham’s good looks come from her mixed heritage. Born in Brisbane, Australia to an Australian father and Taiwanese mother, Missingham was raised in Taiwan.
▼ Here she is pictured with her father.
▼ In May, the beauty turned 23.
Missingham is making news not only for her good looks, but also for her impressive talent. Since the age of seven, she aspired to be a professional Go chess player, and at the age of 12, she won first place in the All Taiwan Go League. Now, she is Taiwan’s first professional chess player to be ranked in China.
Missingham, who plays Go professionally under her Chinese name, Hei Jiajia, is in her element when she’s sitting at a Go board.
She’s also won numerous awards, including second prize at the Pair Go World Cup in Tokyo in 2016.
Her Instagram account is filled with photos of her playing Go, showing her deep in concentration…
▼ And also having a bit of fun with it as well.
She enjoys playing around with the Go pieces, creating gorgeous scenes for her followers to enjoy.
The young Go player can also play a number of musical instruments, including the pipa, a traditional Chinese instrument.
While she is currently enjoying a successful career as a Go player, Missingham has also been commended for her work towards fighting for gender equality within the world of Go.
Several years ago, when it was revealed that a huge pay gap existed between male and female professional Go players at a tournament, Missingham carried a fan at her games, with the message “protest gender discrimination” written on one side of it.
According to reports, the Taiwanese Go Association paid male players 2,000 Yuan (US$300) per game, while female players were not paid at all. Furthermore, female players were excluded from winning prize money, which was only awarded to male players.
Missingham’s desire to help change the world and strive for excellence stems from her childhood experiences, and the support she received from her parents, which helped mould her into the person she is today.
▼ She gave a TED talk in Taipei in 2012, where she shared her experiences with a large audience.
Some of her advice to others is to “withstand loneliness, overcome temptation, learn to choose, and know how to let go“. While we’re not sure if Missingham’s fans will ever be able to let go of obsessing over her good looks, the young Go player continues to prove that she’s an inspiring individual who is certainly much more than just a pretty face.
Source: Hamusoku
Featured image: Instagram/jiajia94526