"Wherever we start from, we can go and achieve anything.”
After making history in the South Pole, Harpreet Chandi is now turning her exploring ambitions north.
Nicknamed Polar Preet, the 36-year-old from Derby has made three solo expeditions to Antarctica, earning herself four Guinness world records, as well as praise from the Princess of Wales for her “incredible” achievements.
She reached the South Pole for the first time in January 2022, travelling 702 miles in 40 days and becoming the first woman of colour to complete a solo expedition to Antarctica.
A year later, she broke the record for the longest solo unsupported one-way polar ski journey, skiing for up to 15 hours a day on as little as five hours’ sleep.
At the same time, Harpreet pulled kit and supplies weighing approximately 120 kilograms through winds of up to 60mph and in temperatures as low as -30°C.
Harpreet is now training to become the first woman to travel solo and unsupported to the North Pole.
She will set off from Canada and the journey will involve travelling across sea ice, crossing sections of open water, climbing over rough ice and dealing with temperatures of -50°C.
Harpreet wrote on her fundraising page:
“Currently no female has travelled solo to the North Pole.
“There is a slim chance that I will actually make it to the North Pole – but wouldn’t it be incredible if I did!”
Harpreet joked that when she first told her “proud and supportive” family of her plans, “some of them thought I was talking about Southall rather than the South Pole”.
After collecting her MBE in 2023, Harpreet Chandi said:
“Wherever we start from, we can go and achieve anything.”
She plans to begin her trek in March 2025, weather permitting.
Harpreet said: “When I reached the South Pole the first time [January 2022], I said on my blogpost, ‘I don’t want to just break the glass ceiling, I want to smash it into a million pieces’.
“I was told no on so many occasions, called stubborn or rebellious because I wanted to do things that were out of the norm and push my boundaries.
“I want to encourage others to push their boundaries, it is amazing how much your world opens up when you start to do so.
“No boundary or barrier is too small and I want to continue to smash that glass ceiling.”
She took unpaid leave from the army to complete her Antarctica expeditions and is now on a career break.
During her service, she was deployed to Nepal, Kenya, and South Sudan, where she participated in a six-month UN peacekeeping mission.
While in South Sudan, she organised a 30-hour endurance event to raise funds for charity, completing the entire challenge herself. Fellow soldiers joined her for durations ranging from one to 12 hours.
Her passion for endurance challenges was sparked closer to home when she took on an ultra-marathon.
After completing the 50-mile Dusk till Dawn challenge in the Peak District, Harpreet developed a love for adventure and began pursuing even greater challenges.
She added: “Anything ambitious can feel out of reach at the beginning. I’m often still amazed at how far I made it.
“If a Punjabi girl from Derby can get to Antarctica, you can go and achieve anything.”
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