Growing up, I didn’t even know what an explorer was.
I never imagined I’d one day be skiing across the polar regions.
Since then, I’ve completed three solo expeditions to the South Pole and set multiple Guinness World Records.
Now I’m attempting something new, the North Pole.
This is the hardest start line I’ve ever tried to reach.
I might fail.
But I’d rather try than spend my life wondering what if.
If it works, it will make history.
If it doesn’t, it will still be one hell of a journey.
I’ve been in many spaces where I felt like I didn’t belong.
Now I’m trying to become the first woman to reach the top and the bottom of the world solo, to show that we belong in every space.
I want to show that you don’t have to fit the stereotype to push your boundaries and do something extraordinary.
I’m still working to raise the funding needed to reach the start line.
Follow the journey.
#NorthPole
#PolarExplorer
#PushYourBoundaries
#Representation
#Adventure
I’m working toward a solo, unsupported expedition to the North Pole.
I’m still raising the funds just to reach the start line.
I’m doing this to inspire people to push their boundaries, even when the start line feels far away.
I’ll be in Toronto, Canada from Feb 20–22 and would love to connect with individuals, organisations, or companies interested in supporting the expedition through sponsorship, events or introductions.
GoFundMe link is in my bio.
Thank you to everyone who’s supported so far 🙏🏽
#PolarExploration
#NorthPole
#SoloExpedition
#BreakingBoundaries
#Toronto
@cbctoronto@mec@redbullcanada@sikhexpo@ukincanada
‘Every day was a struggle – I’m just so glad I kept going’
British Army Captain Preet Chandi (aka @polarpreet ) recently broke the world record for the longest solo and unsupported polar expedition in history ⛷️
She spoke to @itsanitarani about trekking 922 miles over 70 days in temperatures as low as -50C ❄️
Preet says it’s the hardest thing she’s ever done, but despite falling over more than 40 times in one day and suffering a cold burn to her calf, she kept going. She wants the expedition to encourage other people to push their boundaries and believe in themselves.
Preet also told Anita about her mum meeting her at the airport with parathas when she arrived back to the UK 🫓 and how she’s still slowly trying to get a big knot out of her hair after not brushing it for 70 days.
🎧 You can listen to the full interview on @bbcsounds – it’s the Woman’s Hour episode for the 2 February.
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#bbcwomanshour #bbcradio4 #polarpreet
Welcome to my home on the ice 🏕️❄️
This tent has been with me in Antarctica and now it’s spent 40 days with me in the Arctic. Safe to say we know each other pretty well now 😂
(And yes… I look red because the tent is red. Lovely colour choice, I know 😂)
It’s a small space but it has everything I need: bedroom, kitchen, admin space… what more do I need?
What would be the one thing you’d miss most? 👀
#Arctic #Explorer #WomenWhoExplore #Adventure #ExpeditionLife
Phone conversation with my Bedi Mum (Grandma) ❤️ before she’s seen me post expedition.
Photo is the first time I saw her post expedition.
I’ve always spoken Punjabi but have often not understood certain words or phrases.
I’m making much more of an effort to ask when I don’t understand something now. I asked her afterward what she meant when she said “you won” because I didn’t quite understand and she explained that she was saying congratulations on my expedition ❤️
#punjabi #learning #grandma
I always knew Birthday month was a thing but celebrating the same birthday 3 months apart.. still acceptable!!
I was training in Churchill, Northern Canada on my birthday in February. It was a simple day, travelled on sea ice, dragging everything I need to survive in sleds and I blew out a match in my tent.
A few months later, I’m at home back in comfort with my family and enjoying birthday cake ❤️
#birthday #birthdayyear #arctic #home
People often say to me, “Preet, you’re so brave.” Especially after the bear story!
But the truth is, I didn’t feel brave on my last expedition. Not at all.
When the bear came to my tent, I was terrified which I think that’s a completely normal response. If I’m honest, I was scared for a lot of that expedition. The nights were hard. I had so much self doubt.
After the bear encounter, I genuinely thought: this is it, I can’t keep going. But I told myself I’d feel a bit better in the morning.
In the morning, I felt a little bit better.
Not confident. Not fearless. Just… a little bit better.
Then the next day came, and I felt a little bit better again.
I think sometimes we imagine bravery as feeling fearless, strong and certain all the time. But for me, bravery looked more like continuing while scared. Taking the next step despite the doubt.
Antarctica was hard in a very different way. There, my fear was mostly about failing. This felt different. This felt raw.
But I’m glad I did it. I’ve done hard things before and I do believe that’s where growth happens. The continuous fear I had on this recent Arctic expedition was different, it felt much harder, but something I’m glad I experienced.
You don’t have to feel brave to do brave things.
Sometimes you just have to keep going.
(Also… it’s definitely easier to talk about now that I’m back in the warmth 😂)
#doitscared #arctic #expedition #adventure
When a polar bear ripped my tent, I immediately grabbed my pencil flare and fired at the bear to scare it away. I then fired another flare before it finally left.
Afterwards, I just wanted to cry and call my husband. But it was midnight, around -40°C and I would’ve needed to warm up my sat phone just to use it.
So instead, I used some of my food bags to hold the bottom of the tent together and tried to sleep for a couple of hours until it got light.
When morning came, I got to work. I cut up one of the food bag liners I’d already used, took the needle and dental floss from my repair kit and started sewing the tent back together.
It was so cold I had to keep stopping to warm my hands.
In situations like that, when I’m scared and want to panic. I try to go logical first: what do I need to do to fix the situation? Mainly because I know that panicking is not going to help me.
Are you someone who panics first or goes straight into problem solving mode?
#arctic #expedition #polarbear #adventure
Asked my mum what the best thing about being a mum is…
40 seconds later and we’re still both crying laughing before she finally answered 😂❤️
#mum #mumanddaughter
Seva
Selfless service, giving your time, energy and support to others without expecting anything in return. It’s a core value in Sikhism, rooted in helping humanity and supporting community ❤️
Post expedition, I spent a few days in Toronto and visited one of the amazing food banks to see the incredible work they are doing.
They support hundreds of families, not only providing food, but also giving people the opportunity to choose what they need and teaching cooking skills that can support them longer term.
In a world where so many people are struggling quietly, organisations like Seva Food Bank remind us what community really looks like, showing up for each other.
#Seva #Community #FoodBank #Toronto
Earlier this week, a couple of days after getting back from Canada, I went to the outdoor speaker evening at Buffalo Basecamp.
@benfogle has been an advocate for me and my expeditions ever since my first expedition, always willing to help and encourage me along the way. I’ve worn @buffalosystems gear throughout my time in the Army and beyond, so it felt special to be there speaking at the event.
Thank you @benfogle and @buffalosystems for having me.
It was great to hear @_mitchhutch share his story and talk about his incredible triathlon to Everest. His new book, Limitless, came out this week and I picked up my copy at the event.
A lovely evening 💙
#buffalo #sheffield
