British Sikh army officer breaks record for longest solo polar expedition by a woman

Preet Chandi, 33, documents her adventures in a blog titled "Polar Preet". (Image credit: Preet Chandi)

Preet Chandi, a British Sikh Army officer, has made history by undertaking the longest unaided and solo polar expedition by any woman in history.

Chandi, 33, covered 868 miles (1,397 kms) in Antarctica, in temperatures dropping as low as - 50 degrees Celsius, skiing and pulling a sledge. She broke the polar expedition record set by German mountaineer Anja Blacha in 2020 (858 miles or 1,381 kms).

Chandi had hoped to become the first woman to cross Antarctica unsupported.

"I dont have the time to complete the crossing," Chandi, who set off on her expedition in November, wrote on her blog "Polar Preet" on Thursday, January 19. "I’m pretty gutted."

Chandi completed 67 days of her polar journey on Friday, January 20.

In January 2022, she had become the first woman of colour to finish a 400-mile journey in Antarctica.

Her achievement earned her an honorary degree from the University of Derby and support from the British royal family.

Chandi joined the British Army Reserves when she was 19. She would be commissioned soon.

She also graduated in physiotherapy -- the first from her family to get a degree.

As part of the British Army, Chandi was deployed in Nepal, Kenya and South Sudan.

She loves adventure and has been on climbing and hiking trips to Kenya, Morocco, Mexico, Bolivia, Peru, Iceland, Nepal and many other countries.

Through her Antarctic expedition, she wants to inspire younger generations to push boundaries and go on to achieve whatever they want

"I don’t want to just break the glass ceiling, I want to smash it into a million pieces," Chandi said. "I was told no on 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."