Princess of Wales becomes patron of an Army officer’s expedition to be the first woman to cross all of Antarctica on her own

• The mother-of-three has wished the Army officer luck on her upcoming trek
• The Army officer, 33, from Derby, is is due to begin her expedition in November
• British Army medical officer became the first woman of colour to complete an unaided trip to the South Pole in January 2021

The Princess of Wales has become the patron of an Army officer’s ambitious goal to be the first woman to cross all of Antarctica on her own.  

Mother-of-three Kate, 40, spoke with 33-year-old Captain Preet Chandi, also known as ‘Polar Preet’, over the phone on Tuesday to wish her luck on her upcoming 1,000 mile journey.

The British Army medical officer, from Derby, became the first woman of colour to complete an unaided trip to the South Pole in January 2021 after she trekked 700 miles in 40 days.

On her solo trip to Antarctica, Captain Chandi will have to endure temperatures of minus 50C and wind speeds up to 60mph while hauling a sledge, weighing around 120kg, loaded with her kit.

The Princess of Wales (left) has become the patron of an Army officer’s (right) ambitious goal to be the first woman to cross all of Antarctica on her own

The British Army medical officer, from Derby, became the first woman of colour to complete an unaided trip to the South Pole in January 2021 (pictured) 

The Army officer is due to begin her journey at the start of November and has 75 days to complete the challenge.

Speaking ahead of her trip, she said: ‘My aim for this expedition has always been to inspire people to push their boundaries. 

‘I want to bring people on this journey with me, to help them believe that nothing is impossible. It is an absolute privilege to have the Princess of Wales as the patron.’

Kate has long been an advocate of the impact the outdoors can have on the wellbeing of others and counts the Liverpool-based charity Backyard Nature among her royal patronages.

In January 2021 the officer made history when she became the first woman of colour to reach the South Pole solo and unsupported. 

She finished the route in 40 days, just short of the female world record of 38 days held by Joanna Davidson of Sweden.

Preet completed the 700 mile trip across the South Pole in only 40 days last year. The Army captain was the first woman of colour to ever make the trip unaided

Captain Chandi is a physiotherapist working at a Regional Rehabilitation Unit in Buckinghamshire, providing rehabilitation for injured soldiers and officers.

The British-born Indian Sikh said she hopes to inspire other Asian women with her historic exhibitions.

She revealed she had eggs thrown at her when she was a teenager because she ‘looked different’.

In one blog post she wrote: ‘It took me a long time to be proud of the colour of my skin. I used to be embarrassed, having eggs thrown at me and people spit at me when I was a teenager because I “looked different” certainly didn’t help.

Preet – pictured last year – is an ultramarathon runner and has completed some of the world’s most gruelling challenges, including the 156-mile Marathon des Sables across the Sahara desert

Captain Chandi is a physiotherapist working at a Regional Rehabilitation Unit in Buckinghamshire, providing rehabilitation for injured soldiers and officers

‘It took me a while to appreciate my culture and my roots, so when I describe myself as a “woman of colour” it is because I am finally proud of my skin colour, my roots, my culture.

‘This term isn’t used to offend anyone. It is part of me and doing this expedition as a woman of colour is incredibly powerful. Having been told on many occasions that I don’t look like a polar explorer… lets change the image you expect to see.’

She told the Army before setting off: ‘When I decided I wanted to go to Antarctica, I didn’t know I would be the first woman of colour to do a solo expedition on the continent and people have said to me, “You don’t look like a polar explorer”.

But sport and competition has always been in her blood, leaving home at 14 to play tennis at an academy, before joining the Novak Djokovic Academy in Czech Republic just two years later.

She is also an ultramarathon runner and has completed some of the world’s most gruelling challenges, including the 156-mile Marathon des Sables across the Sahara desert last year.

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