Breaking Boundaries with Polar Preet

The Race Equality Network are delighted to host Polar Preet Chand for a talk and Q+A as part of our South Asian Heritage Month programme. This talk will be open to staff, students, and members of the public. This event falls during school holidays, and we would encourage parents to book tickets for their children too, as Preet is a truly inspirational role model.

Captain Preet Chandi is a former British Army Officer and physiotherapist, she served in the Royal Army Medical Corps for 16 years. In 2022, Preet became the ninth woman in history to ski solo to the South Pole and the first woman of colour to complete a solo expedition on the continent. Preet set out on her next adventure, during which, she broke two Guinness world records for the longest solo unsupported one-way ski expedition by a woman and overall. As part of the endeavour, she covered 922 miles in 70 days.

She returned to Antarctica less than a year later for her fourth world record, completing the female speed record to the South Pole in 31 days, 13 hours, and 19 minutes. She completed this expedition on 28 Dec 2023.

Her aims for her expeditions were to inspire as many people as possible. Preet wanted to show that everybody starts somewhere. She emphasises that, no matter where you’re from or what your starting point in life is, you are capable of smashing the glass ceiling into a million pieces and creating your own definition of “normal” on the journey to success.

Preet completed her Sports and Exercises Medicine MSc in Oct 2021 and has published medical research conducted on the physiological data she gathered during expeditions. In 2022, she completed more than four months of school talks all over the UK, reaching more than 18,000 students. That same year, she was appointed a Member of the Order of the British Empire (MBE) as part of the Queen’s Birthday Honours.

She won the ‘Inspirational’ and ‘Woman of the Year’ awards at the inaugural Women in Defence event in October 2022, became ‘Explorer of the Year 2023’ and recieved the Geographical Award 2025 from the Royal Geographical Society.

In addition to this talk, you will be able to purchase copies of Preet's childrens book 'The Explorer's Guide to Going Wild: From World Record-Breaking Adventurer Preet Chandi!' and get your copy signed too!

The event will take place on the University of Birmingham campus, and the exact room for the talk will be emailed to attendees nearer the time.