Captain Preet Chandi MBE – Breaking Boundaries: World Record-Breaking Polar Explorer Inspiring the Next Generation
- Tough Girl
- Oct 16
- 4 min read
Captain Preet Chandi MBE is a world record breaking explorer, former British Army officer, and physiotherapist. She served in the Royal Army Medical Corps for 16 years before embarking on groundbreaking polar expeditions.
In 2022, Preet became the ninth woman in history to ski solo to the South Pole, and the first woman of colour to complete a solo expedition on the continent. Less than a year later, she set out on her next adventure, breaking two Guinness World Records for the longest solo unsupported one-way ski expedition, both for a woman and overall, covering 922 miles in 70 days.
She returned to Antarctica in December 2023 to set her fourth world record: the female speed record to the South Pole, completed in 31 days, 13 hours, and 19 minutes.
Preet’s expeditions are driven by her mission to inspire others to push boundaries. She champions the message that everyone starts somewhere, and that no matter your background or starting point in life, you are capable of breaking barriers and redefining what’s possible.
In 2025, she established her Community Interest Company, Adventure is Ours CIC, which supports expeditions that promote education, inspiration, climate awareness, and diversity in exploration. Through the CIC, she also delivers outreach, mentorship, and school visits to empower people of all ages.
In 2022, Preet started delivered her school talks across the UK, reaching more than 18,000 students. That same year, she was appointed a Member of the Order of the British Empire (MBE) in the Queen’s Birthday Honours.
Her achievements have been widely recognised: she received the ‘Inspirational’ and ‘Woman of the Year’ awards at the inaugural Women in Defence event in 2022, was named ‘Explorer of the Year’ in 2023, and in 2025 was awarded the prestigious Geographical Award by the Royal Geographical Society.
Past TGP episodes
July 8th 2021 - Preet Chandi - Army Physiotherapist, Ultra Runner, first solo unsupported expedition to South Pole!
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Show notes
Who is Preet
Originally from Darby, but basically living everywhere
Spending 16 years in the Army
Chatting to Preet previously on the Tough Girl Podcast
Making the decision to leave the Army
Coming back in debt
Getting straight back into work
Starting the next fundraising cycle
Trying to get unpaid leave
Doing her 3rd expedition without telling anyone
Trying to cross the landmass on Antarctica on her 2nd trip
Not making it
The voice in her head, telling her she had failed
Feeling the relief when she finished
Getting 2 records from the trip
Why it’s ok to fail
Being slated by an article
Feeling worried about what people in the adventure community would think of her
Wondering if she could get the female speed record? (Needing to break 33 days)
Why you don’t need to be the best to succeed
Learning as she goes on
Why 2023 was a tough year and struggling
The impact on weight loss on your brain
Burnout
Starting to feel recovered
Wanting to train for the North Pole
Having time off
Losing her granddad and hearing the news after the trip
Building momentum
Getting to sleep 8 hrs per night
Talking about failure
Making mistakes and being able to pinpoint them
Being nervous to get started
Needing to get going and hitting some storms at the start
The voice in her head - being scared to fail, and being called a failure
Using her pain relief before she though she would need to
Getting a polar thigh industry
Starting to move more slowly towards the end
Focusing on the next 2hrs
Getting home
Traumatic growth?
The daily pain cave…
Being made to slow down
The costs of doing these trips
Getting help and support
Trip 3 - the women’s speed record
Dealing with the hunger
The next big challenge - the north pole
Why there is a high chance of failure
You can not fail, unless you try
Preparing for the misery and suffering
The privilege of being on the start line of adventures
Lying to herself
Why not Preet!
Needing luck on the next adventure
Wanting to show show much than you can do anything
You go and you try
Why her trips are bigger than her
Why adventure is for anyone
Being very driven and being an encourager
How to connect with Preet
MBE and what it means
What’s been achieved in 4 years
Why you do belong in every single room
The importance of the first step
Social Media
Website: www.polarpreet.com
Instagram: @polarpreet
Facebook: @polarpreet
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