Meet Preet Chandi, 1st Woman of Colour to Complete Solo Expedition in Antarctica

Preet, an Indian-origin British Army Officer is the 1st woman of colour to do a solo journey across Antarctica.

Preet Chandi, first woman of colour to embark on the South Polo solo.

(Photo Courtesy: Twitter/@ArmyCGS)

Preet Chandi, an English Sikh Army Officer has made history by being the first ‘woman of colour’ to finish an expedition to the South Pole. In a report from CNN, her expedition began in November of 2021. On January 3, she completed the 40 mile (1126 kms) trek in 40 days.

Before beginning the expedition, she had said, “Antarctica is the coldest, highest, driest and windiest continent on earth. Nobody lives there permanently. I didn't know much about the continent when I first started planning and that is what inspired me to go there."

She has been planning her expedition for the last 2 years; her preparation including a trek in Iceland and in the French Alps. Along with the arduous journey, Chandi also carried a supply pack that included fuel and food, weighing nearly 90 kgs.

In her blog she says, "I made it to the South Pole where it's snowing. Feeling so many emotions right now... it feels so surreal to finally be here. This expedition was always about so much more than me. I want to encourage people to push their boundaries and to believe in themselves," she announced on her blog after completing the trek to the South Pole.

"I don't want to just break the glass ceiling, I want to smash it into a million pieces," she added.

She received praise from many people, the most significant being the Chief of General Staff of the British Army. In his tweet he congratulated Chandi on the success of her journey, calling her an "inspirational example of grit and determination".

Chandi sets an example for all of us, showing us that determination and hard work will always help us achieve our goals. She also stands to be an excellent role model for women and girls all over the world, showing us that if we put our minds to it, we can achieve anything.

(With inputs from NDTV and CNN)