Team Forces is pleased to announce that Polar Preet has just arrived in Antarctica ready to start her epic journey across the ice … and hopefully into the history books!
Preet touched down in Union Glacier today where she will have to wait for a suitable weather window before being dropped at her expedition starting point. She will be setting off from Hercules inlet on the inner coast of the Ronne Ice Shelf and retrace her successful South Pole expedition journey which she completed earlier this year. However, this time she will not be stopping at the South Pole, she will be heading out on the second part of her journey to the inner coast of The Ross Ice Shelf via The Reedy Glacier.
Preet will be pulling her pulk (sled) with all her kit and equipment for a duration of around 75 days for over 1,000 miles and will face temperatures as low as -50°c and wind speeds of up to 60mph. She will be using muscle power alone to pull the pulk which will have a starting weight of about 120kg. Preet is aiming for the entire expedition to take around 75 days and hopes to be back in the UK at the end of Jan/start of Feb 2023.
Team Forces wishes her the best of luck on her record breaking attempt to cross Antarctica solo and unsupported.
A huge thank you to all her sponsors for making this incredible expedition possible.
Other world record attempts include Louis Rudd and Colin O’Brady who completed solo and unsupported (without resupplies) crossings of Antarctica in 2018 and Felicity Aston who completed a solo supported (with resupplies) crossing in 2012.
About Polar Preet
In January 2022, British Army Medical Officer Preet Chandi, or ‘Polar Preet,’ became the first woman of colour to ski solo to the South Pole. The 33-year-old captain in the UK’s Royal Army Medical Corps took 40 days to complete the 700-mile trek. Preet joined the Territorial Army in 2007 and became a Regular army officer seven years later, she has served in Nepal, Kenya and South Sudan. In 2019 Preet completed the Marathon des Sables, a 156-mile (251 km) ultramarathon across the Sahara. Preet was appointed Member of the Order of the British Empire (MBE) in the 2022 Birthday Honours. Another huge honour was that on 26 October 2022 HRH Catherine, The Princess of Wales became Preet’s expedition Patron.
SUPPORTERS
“This is a solo expedition but I’m not doing this on my own, there are so many people supporting me.”
Captain Preet Chandi MBE
