Capt. Preet Chandi became the first woman of color to successfully finish a solo, unassisted journey to the South Pole in an effort to show that “no matter where we are from, no matter what we look like, we can do anything we desire.” Currently, “Polar Preet” is striving for a greater feat: she wants to become the first woman to traverse the entire Antarctic continent unassisted and alone.
The 33-year-old is already getting ready for “phase two” of her trailblazing tour, which will require her to travel more than 1,000 miles in minus 50-degree temperatures. She had just recently trekked 700 miles over 40 days. Preet will go from coast to coast in roughly 75 days while contending with gusts up to 60 mph and pulling a sled behind her gear.
“I carry everything I need with me from the beginning and if anything breaks, I would try to repair it on the route,” she wrote in an Instagram post where she talked about the meaning of her journey.
“I want to break (the) glass ceiling”
“Why did I go to Antarctica in the first place and why am I going back? I wanted to show that no matter where we are from, no matter what we look like, we can achieve anything we want. I want to inspire others to push their boundaries and encourage them to believe in themselves. I want to break that glass ceiling!” She continued.
The army physiotherapist will take some time off at the end of the year to try and write her name in the record books yet again. She exercises her cardiovascular system and her muscles and drags tires to simulate the weight of her sled.