Preet Chandi: Army Officer and adventurer hoping to ski unsupported across Antarctica

Interview: Tom Warburton

We caught up with Preet Chandi. Preet is an Army Officer and physiotherapist who has taken part in endurance events such as the Marathon Des Sables.

She is now hoping to break down barriers and smash records by skiing solo and unsupported across Antarctica.

In doing so Preet will be the first Asian woman to complete a solo expedition in Antarctica.

Your challenge is amazing! What inspired you to undertake it?

Thank you, I wanted to do something that inspires others to push their boundaries by doing something that pushes mine. I’ve done a few endurance events (mainly in the heat) and wanted to do something that appeared impossible to me, this is how I decided on Antarctica, the coldest and windiest continent.

I don’t have a polar background and I haven’t done anything of this magnitude before so what makes me qualified? Well, everybody starts somewhere and that is exactly what I did. I started reading polar blogs and books, booked onto a polar training course and the thing that once appeared impossible to me, started to look achievable.

The polar world can be a very exclusive community, do you hope to break down barriers and bring more diversity into polar exploration?

Definitely! I’m aiming to complete a solo unsupported expedition in Antarctica which would make me the first Asian female to do so, but I certainly do not want to be the last. I really hope my expedition inspires others, regardless of where people are from or their different backgrounds.

I have faced internal and external barriers and have worked really hard to overcome these, this expedition will definitely be out of my comfort zone but that is part of the beauty of it. I really want to show we can break down those barriers and regardless of your background, you can achieve whatever your impossible may be.

You’ve just come back from a pretty intense training trip in Greenland, how was that, and was there any obstacles you had to overcome?

There were definitely a few obstacles. The trip was logistically challenging to start, it was only confirmed a week before so I spent that week borrowing a lot of kit and equipment, booking the covid test before departure and on arrival, sorting the quarantine accommodation and flights etc.

It was a relief to finally get onto the ice, we pulled all of our kit on foot for the first few days navigating the crevasse fields and finally put our skis on day 3. We worked hard every day through the challenging weather conditions including snow, whiteouts, high winds and storms. In the first two weeks, we encountered 6 days of storms throughout in which we were tent bound.

At this point, the difficult decision to turn around was made and we started to head back to our start point. We then ran into a bigger storm and ended up in the tent for the next six days, leaving the tent every few hours to dig the tent out of the snowstorm around us. It was relentless, we would stay out for 2-3 hours at a time, I couldn’t see anything as my goggles would freeze up pretty quickly. I would get onto my hand and knees and just start digging.

We would then get back into the tent to warm up for a few hours before heading out again, this was our routine for 3 days. We were expecting an extraction which had been delayed due to the weather conditions so we were also rationing fuel at the end, only turning the stove on to reheat our hot water bottles twice a day. It was difficult to dry anything as my down sleeping bag and down jacket were pretty wet. The difficulty about this stage of the trip was not knowing when it was going to finish, we were in a half-buried tent on the icecap.

The extraction finally came after a few days and in the end, it became quite funny. It was as though everything that could go wrong, did. Flights were cancelled at every stage, our luggage was accidentally sent back to the other side of Greenland so I was in my ski boots until we landed in the UK.

It was a physically and mentally challenging trip and the skills I learnt were invaluable. All useful skills for Antarctica!

You’ve had quite a varied adventure and sports background. From running the gruelling Marathon Des Sables to growing up in a professional tennis academy, does this varied background suit the challenge you’re about to undertake?

It has definitely made me adaptable! I moved away from home aged 14 to play tennis and enjoyed the independence, I moved to the Czech Republic aged 16, where I regularly travelled to tournaments in eastern Europe independently. I would plan the logistics of getting to the tournament along with accommodation etc, skills that have definitely been useful when planning my expeditions.

I started running races when I was at university, first it was a half marathon, then a marathon. If I could do a marathon, why not run an ultra marathon. I realised how much I enjoyed endurance events and how they tested my mental resilience. I remember reading about Marathon des Sables and thinking it sounded insane/crazy so of course, I entered. I thought to myself, if I can do that race, I can definitely do more!

So to answer your question, I think the varied background does help. I don’t mind being in challenging situations, there is always something you can learn and take forward. 

You’ve done some pretty awesome challenges for charity, including a 24-hour step up for Mencap, you’ve got a pretty cool challenge at the minute. 

I love challenges that bring people together, it’s a great way to motivate me too!

I was supposed to be running the London Marathon which was cancelled due to lockdown which is when I decided to do the 24 hr step-up challenge. I invited other people to join me with some steps ups from their own homes and they did, I had virtual company for most of the 24 hours which was great for my morale! I was raising money for the NHS too so it was all for a worthy cause.

I’m currently doing a challenge called 1000 miles together. To join in you can do as many miles as you want and send them to me online (@polarpreet) with a photo or video and I add them onto the total. With the lockdown announced this year, I just wanted to do something that brings people together and encourages people to get outside. I’ve had some great videos with some awesome fancy dress, people have been very creative and have sent miles from horse riding, kayaking, skiing, walking, running etc. The aim is to reach 1000 miles together by 7 Feb and we are currently on 593.64 miles! Message me if you want to join in!

Fitness, is incredibly important for a journey like this, what kind of things are you doing to prepare for this?

I have a programme that has a mixture of strength and conditioning training and I’m also pulling a tyre which simulates me pulling a sled. I’m pulling one tyre at the moment but will add two as soon as I want to up my training. I will be working with a coach soon to help plan the sessions.

I’m also a physiotherapist, currently completing my MSc in Sports and Exercise Medicine and I’ve always had an interest in sports and fitness which I find helpful.

What’s the logistics like for your expedition?

There will be a lot of logistical planning involved just to get me there and I will be working with Antarctic Logistics Expedition (ALE) every step of the way.

This will involve getting to Chile, organising all of my kit and food for the expedition, packing it all. ALE will organise all the permits, internal flights and I will have daily comms with them during my expedition.

What’s a luxury item you will be bringing with you?

I’m going to ask a few friends to write me letters which I can open when I need some morale!

If you want to find out more about Preet's amazing expedition and challenges you can find her on social media under @polarpreet and www.polarpreet.com