Preet Chandi is a pioneer in every sense of the word. Not only did she quite literally adventure to a part of the world we still know only relatively little about, but the act of doing so smashed glass ceilings and trailblazed a path for others to follow. A British Sikh army officer, she is the first woman of colour to complete a solo exhibition in Antartica. And she completed it - all 700 miles of it - in just 40 days.

Upon her final day there she said, “This expedition was always about so much more than me. I want to encourage people to push their boundaries and to believe in themselves, and I want you to be able to do it without being labelled a rebel. I have been told no on so many occasions and told to “just do the normal thing,” but we create our own normal. You are capable of anything you want. No matter where you are from or where your start line is, everybody starts somewhere. I don’t want to just break the glass ceiling, I want to just smash it into a million pieces.”

She says the idea to undertake this challenge came to her over two years ago because she “wanted to do something that would push my boundaries and hopefully inspire others to do the same. I used all my leave for training trips, my life savings, with some training trips taking me over six months to pay back in installments. I would email 10-15 companies in the evenings after work trying to get sponsors. Most wouldn't respond and when they did, they couldn't commit due to COVID.”

Preet’s story is deeply inspiring and a testament to what tenacity and determination can achieve. But it hasn by no means been easy. She explains; “I felt overwhelmed at times while trying to train, being a COVID vaccinator, completing my MSc, looking for sponsors and trying to buy my first house. I remember just sometimes sitting in my partner's kitchen and I just wanted to cry because it was just too much.”

”But I persisted. My first big sponsor came on board 10 months before the expedition. I can't even explain how much this meant to me. I had unpaid leave approved at the same time. I felt as though I was getting closer. About six months before the expedition, I had the opportunity to do it through the Army and I'm very grateful for that.” Preet works as a physiotherapist in the British Army and says that as the first to obtain a degree in her family, when she made the decision to join the army, she told no-one due to fear that she would be dissuaded.

“Physiotherapy is often not the accepted career choice for Asian families, as expectations are that you become a Doctor or Dentist. Having seen physiotherapists in my early sporting career, I was always intrigued by the profession and wanted to learn more,” she says. “I joined the Army Reserves as a Combat Medical Technician before university and I decided to join the regular Army as I wanted to fully immerse myself. Becoming an Army physiotherapist seemed like something that was impossible to me.”

Having played tennis full time as a teenager at an academy in the Czech Republic till she was 19, she says, “I came back to England with minimal GSCE’s, no A-levels, no real qualifications. I wanted to be a physio and was told I wouldn’t be able to do it. But I did, I did everything I could to earn some money and get the quals I needed, I started working at Burger King, did my access course, volunteered at the local hospital, joined the Army. I still remember the feeling I had when I got into Uni and when I graduated. I’m so glad I believed in myself. This is still one of my greatest achievements.”

In fact, Preet has achieved exceptional achievements throughout her life. She has worked with other UN countries to support the Covid-19 vaccination roll out; advising populations that were reluctant to get their vaccine. “I have also been involved with army engagement events where I share my experience with persons from different backgrounds, showcasing both the opportunities and career paths that the army offers,” she says. This, in particular, was very important to her.

“In various aspects of life, I’ve been told it’s unusual when someone that looks like me is hiking solo, wild camping, running ultramarathons etc. Not so long ago, I was told I don’t look like a polar explorer. I know many women of colour stepping outside of their norms and bringing more diversity to the outdoors and I love it. I love seeing the many groups encouraging diversity. It doesn’t matter where you are from, the colour of your skin, you are so capable and can achieve whatever you want.”

Frustratingly, despite all her accomplishments, she still gets asked ‘are you not married yet?!’ “My response,” she says is “no, but my career is going really well and I’m really proud to be an Officer in the British Army. I might get married one day and I haven’t decided if I want kids yet. That is my decision to make and only mine. As an Asian female, I want to inspire others to achieve their impossible. When I was a kid, I used to think I would be married with kids and own a house by the time I was 25. I still don’t have any of these things and I’m completely happy with that. Culturally, certain things are expected but I really don’t care. I’m so so glad I’ve ignored these ‘expectations’’

But she admits, she did struggle with tokenism in the past. “Why does representation matter, why does it matter that I’m brown? These are questions I used to ask myself all the time. It took me a while to use this phrase because I didn’t know how I would be perceived. In hindsight, it seems ridiculous that I would change how I identify based on other people’s perception. And then over time I’ve seen how people react to me, seeing an Indian female, either on my adventures or in uniform. I just think it’s normal but it’s really not to a lot of people. The power of seeing someone that looks like you can change or shape how you view yourself. I want to show and tell you that the world is your oyster. There is so much you can do, let’s break down those barriers!”

Image of Preet with her grandfather from Preet’s Instagram

For Preet though, her inspiration is her grandfather. “Many people ask me who my role model is and I think of my Baba. He was a strong and stable figure in my life, with a heart of gold and will always be remembered.” On social media, Preet has been very honest about the struggle leading up to her journey. The planning and preparation required whilst juggling all her other commitments. “I used everything I had to get there, I was well into my credit card when I left for Antarctica and have just paid it off since being back. It was hard work but when I had tough times during the expedition, I reminded myself of how much it took to get to the start line. This helped me. If I worked so hard to get here, I could get through the tough days and make it to the South Pole.”

Now she wants to help others like her make their adventure dreams come true. “I want to inspire people, especially those that might find it difficult to start their challenges. So I decided to set up a yearly adventure grant for females conducting unusual challenges. Up to 50% of the funds from my gofundme page will go toward this grant. It is a yearly grant. I’m super excited about this and hope to continue it for a very long time. I want to encourage people from different backgrounds to apply, no matter how small or big your expedition idea is!’

Beyond that, she is busy with the flurry of excitement about her return. “It's incredible to have all the support and the following on social media too. I don't think I'll ever manage to respond to all of the messages and comments.. I will be as honest and real as I can about my experiences. I'm continuing to learn, grow and will continue to push my boundaries. Next week I'll be on a 3 month tour visiting various schools in different areas of the UK and I can't wait to inspire the next generation!”

South Asian woman becomes first woman of colour to reach the South Pole

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