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Preet Chandi becomes first woman of colour to trek solo to South Pole
Preet Chandi
Fastest Woman to Complete a Solo Expedition to the South Pole
- The first woman of colour to complete a solo expedition across Antarctica to the South Pole
- Draws from her thrilling 700-mile, 40-day journey to empower audiences to push past boundaries and redefine normal
- Speaks to the importance of representation in all facets of life and highlights how we are all capable of much more than we believe
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Described as “a trailblazer, and the most determined, tenacious, and motivated woman,” Preet Chandi holds the record of being the fastest woman to complete a solo unsupported ski expedition to the South Pole, as well as the distinction of being the first woman of colour to complete a solo expedition on the continent. Driven by an unending desire to push her mental and physical boundaries, Preet is any Army officer, physiotherapist, Nordic skier, ultramarathon runner, and endurance athlete with an iron will that has led to her making history and breaking barriers in the world of adventuring.
Exclusively represented by Leading Authorities speakers bureau, Preet is a captivating speaker who encourages audiences to push past their boundaries, believe in themselves, and to set out to achieve their goals without being labelled a rebel. She emphasizes that, no matter where you’re from or what your starting point in life is, you are capable of smashing the glass ceiling into a million pieces and creating your own definition of “normal” on the journey to success.
Preet faced the ultimate test of endurance on her journey to becoming the first woman of colour to complete a solo expedition across Antarctica to the South Pole. She packed 48 days of food and fuel for the unsupported 700-mile expedition and completed the journey in just 40 days on 3 January 2022. From November 2022 to 30 January 2023, Preet set out on her next adventure, during which, she broke the Guiness world records for longest polar ski expedition by a woman and the longest solo unsupported one-way ski expedition in Antarctica overall. As part of the endeavour, she covered 922 miles in 70 days. Building upon her previous successes, she began her next expedition on 26 November 2023 and arrived on 28 December 2023 to become the fastest woman ever to complete the grueling journey to the South Pole, covering 1,130 km in 31 days 13 hours and 19 minutes and beating the previous record by 1 day 14 hours and 34 minutes. Her aims for her expeditions were to inspire as many people as possible. She did not grow up learning of polar explorers, and she didn’t know much about Antarctica when she decided to embark on these adventures. Preet wanted to show that everybody starts somewhere.
Preet has always been fascinated with how much the human body can endure. Her first ultra-marathon (50 miles in the Peak District) left her feeling very achy and sick, but she had already caught the bug. The scale of her adventures started to grow and her definition of what is normal began to change. She completed Marathon des Sables 156-mile ultramarathon in the desert and began to create her own challenges such as a 24-hour step-up challenge during lockdown to raise money for NHS Charities and a 30-hour endurance event she organised whilst on operational tour in South Sudan with the British Army.
Preet’s full time role is as a physiotherapist in the British Army where she has completed large-scale exercises/deployments in Nepal, Kenya, and South Sudan. She completed her Sports and Exercises Medicine MSc in Oct 2021 and, during her second expedition to Antarctica, conducted research on the physiological data she gathered. In 2022, she completed more than four months of school talks in 2022 all over the UK, reaching more than 18,000 students. That same year, she was appointed a Member of the Order of the British Empire (MBE) as part of the Queen’s Birthday Honors. People from all generations listening to her talk have labelled her as “inspirational.”
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British army officer becomes first woman of colour to ski to South Pole unaccompanied | ITV News
Pushing Past Boundaries to Redefine Normal. If adventurer Preet Chandi had accepted other people’s definitions for what is considered “normal,” she never would have completed the 40-day, 700-mile journey from the coastline of Antarctica to the geographic South Pole that saw her become the first woman of colour to complete a solo expedition across the continent. Drawing from a challenging expedition that required her to be physically and mentally sharp at all times, Chandi, inspires audiences with her thrilling story of grit and determination as she empowers them to step out of their comfort zones and push past the boundaries they have set for themselves in their professional and personal lives. As Chandi shares with audiences, the question isn’t “if” you can achieve your goals, it’s “when” you will achieve them.
Shatter the Glass Ceiling. As the first woman of colour to complete a solo expedition across the South Pole, there was no example for her to follow in achieving such a remarkable feat. She may have been the first to complete the journey, but it’s her mission to not be the last. In this talk, Chandi leads an eye-opening conversation on the importance of diversity, equity, and inclusion in all aspects of life – from the workplace to pursuing your dreams, whatever they may be. When speaking, Chandi instills a belief in the audience that, no matter your background or starting point in life, anything is possible.
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