Preet Chandi Sets Out to Become the First Woman to Cross Antarctica Solo

An expedition across Antarctica is said to be the toughest all. However, a woman from the United Kingdom completed her expedition on the first attempt to become the first female explorer to cross the continent solo and unsupported. Preet Chandi also having Indian roots look forward to covering over 1,100 miles during her journey. 

Preet Chandi aims to cover this journey which will likely take 70 to 75 days. The 33-year-old will battle temperatures of minus 58 degrees Fahrenheit and wind speeds up to 60 miles per hour with carrying all supplies on a sled called a pulk, which may weigh over 250 pounds at the beginning of her journey. 

First Woman To Cross Antarctica Solo

Chandi in her audio blog on Tuesday, said, “It’s pretty cold at the moment and very windy. I can really feel my 120-kilogram pulk. Going quite slow at the moment, but I'll gradually build up my mileage as my pulk gets lighter, too, and I just need to remember that I am doing this day after day, so I don't want to do too many hours too soon.”

Chandi is also popularly known as Polar Preet. Last year, Chandi has set a record by becoming the first woman of color to complete an unsupported expedition to the South Pole. Polar Preet finished her journey in 40 days, only two days more than Joanna Davidson's expedition time, who holds the female world record, as per a report of BBC News.

Polar Preet in a report said,

"A lot of people tell me I don't look like a polar explorer. “It's considered out of the norm for an Asian woman to do this—it's different. And that's part of the reason why I wanted to do this—for people who don't fit a certain image.”

Preet Chandi belongs to an Indian Sikh community in England and joined the Army Reserve at age 19. She graduated from college with a major in physiotherapy, becoming the first in her family to earn a degree in 2012. 

Chandi ran her first half-marathon at 20 years old, after that there ws no stopping. She has been on hiking and climbing trips across the world, including in Kenya, Morocco, Mexico, the Alps, Bolivia, Peru, Iceland and Nepal. She also completed the Marathon des Sables, a week-long, 156-mile ultramarathon in the Sahara Desert this year. 

She is a professional physiotherapist and currently working in the British Army, organizing training and rehabilitation for injured soldiers and officers. 

Chandi writes in her blog- 

“Nothing is impossible. I've always had this idea that I can achieve something great, something that allows me to be a role model,” she writes. “I want my 11-year-old niece to grow up without boundaries, knowing the possibilities of what you can achieve in life are endless.”

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