FOR Captain Harpreet Chandi, also known as Captain Preet or ‘Polar Preet’, survival has been a key term of her life.
The British Army officer of south Asian origin has always survived challenges, whether in her real life or in things that she loves to do and each time, she has come out with glowing from the achievement. It would not be any exaggeration to call her a role model.
To give an example of Chandi’s achievements, the British-Sikh physiotherapist in her mid-30s recently set a new world record by undertaking the longest solo and unaided polar expedition by a woman.
The Derby-born soldier, who is known to be the first woman of colour to complete a solo mission to the South Pole, covered more than 860 miles or nearly 1,400 kilometres across Antarctica in minus 50 degree Celsius, eclipsing the previous record held by Anja Blacha who skied 858 miles (1,381 kms) in 2020.
On January 26, 2023, Captain Chandi published the final blog of her Antarctica expedition in which she said that she completed the mission on 23rd.
While Chandi was disappointed that she ran out of time while attempting to become the first woman to cross Antarctica solo and without support, she was nevertheless satisfied with her efforts.
In February 2023, the Guinness World Records confirmed that Chandi had broken the global record for the longest solo and unsupported one-way polar ski journey for a woman as well as the longest solo unsupported one-way polar ski journey.
She penned in her blog, “I did everything I could. I didn’t take a single day off in 70 days and pushed the hours every single day.
“I’m also proud of myself, I kept going when it was tough, when I thought I couldn’t do anymore. I wanted to push my boundaries and hopefully inspire others to do the same.
“I wanted to show that it does not matter where you are from, what you look like or what your start line is, you can truly achieve anything.
“If a Punjabi woman from Derby can do this, then anybody can achieve anything.”
These words come from someone who, in a way, backed her ambition with grit and determination and eventually saw the world saluting her. Among those who wished her success was Catherine, the Princess of Wales, who later hugged her after the completion of the mission.
Chandi also inspired an initiative on GoFundMe which raised more than £10,000, half of which would go to an “adventure grant” for women who conduct “unique challenges” and the remaining part to Polar Preet’s next undertaking.
With each of her feats achieved against challenges thrown by an unforgiving Nature, Preet -- an unassuming and humble human being – has scripted golden words for generations to come.
Preet, who has always been proud of her Indian roots, joined the British Army when she was a teen. Seven years ago, she took the call to serve her country fulltime as a physiotherapist. She had faced questions over her profession but the rebel in her was never ready to get stereotyped.
She said that when she joined the army reserves, people told her that she was basically stupid and had done the wrong thing.
Feeling socially cornered, Captain Chandi started coping with these challenges, and that even saw her downplaying her own achievements in a way by stopping communicating with people. Chandi’s family was not spared either.
But that is a thing of the past now. The repeated attacks helped her build a defence system and when the real-world feats happened – be it in terms of career growth or those risk-defying missions that made her a role model – Chandi started living on her own terms and inspiring others to go after the dreams just the way she did, irrespective of age.
“Success is not just one thing, it’s not just one lane,” she said once.
When Preet is not in polar fields, she organises and validates training for medics in the armed forces in the capacity of a clinical training officer.
Today, she is a respected figure in the army which uses her reputation for engaging with potential new recruits. Chandi, who is currently based at a military unit in Buckinghamshire, said she has not faced racism in the army despite being a person of a colour and on the contrary, she is more involved in things so that more diversity could be achieved with her valued advice.
But that has not always been the case with the officer who has pushed her boundaries in various roles – woman, south Asian, army member. Chandi, who once harboured interest in tennis and undergoes rigorous physical training, has a special place in her heart for her mother who single-handedly brought her and her brother up after getting divorced. For her, her mother too broke the boundaries and defied the social nay-sayers.
The officer, who got engaged to a British Army reservist in IT, pledges to stay real and honest about her expeditions since they might prove to be helpful for other people who are also aiming to do something like her.
