CAPTAIN Harpreet Chandi,a 32- year-old Indian-origin British Sikh Army officer and physiotherapist also known as Polar Preet, has created history by becoming the first woman of colour to complete a soloun supported trek to the South Pole. Chandi announced her history-making feat on her live blog on Monday at the end of Day 40 after travelling 700 miles (1,127 kilometres) while pulling a pulk or sledge with all of her kit and battling temperatures of minus 50 degrees Celsius and wind speeds of around 60mph. “I made it to the South Pole where it’s snowing. Feeling so manyemotionsrightnow.Iknew nothing about the polar world three years ago and it feels so surreal to finally be here. It was tough getting here and I want to thank everybody for their support,” she wrote.

 

“This expedition was always about so much more than me. I want to encourage people to push their boundaries and to believeinthemselves,andIwant you to be able to do it without beinglabelledarebel.Ihavebeen told no on many occasions and toldto‘justdothenormalthing’, but we create our own normal,” Chandi said. She uploaded a live tracking map of her trek and also posted regular blogs of her journey to the snow-capped region.

 

“Day 40 – Finished. Preet has just made history becoming the first woman of colour to complete a solo expedition in Antarctica,” reads the final entry of her blog. “You are capable of anything you want. No matter where you are from or where your start line is, everybody starts somewhere. Idon’twanttojustbreaktheglass ceiling; I want to smash it into a million pieces,” she said. As part ofaMedical Regiment in the North-West of England, Chandi’sprimaryroleistoorganise and validate training for medics in the Army as Clinical Training Officer.