Captain Preet Chandi MBE was highly praised as "incredible" following her encounter with the Princess of Wales at the Landau Forte College in Derby today, in celebration of her successful solo expedition across Antarctica, iTv News informs.
The local army officer from Derby reportedly accomplished a remarkable feat by surpassing the previous record for the longest solo, unsupported, and unassisted journey across Antarctica, despite facing grueling exhaustion and harsh temperatures dipping as low as minus 30C, as reported by the British Army.
Breaking new ground in human achievement, Captain Chandi traversed 1,397 kilometres of Antarctica in minus 50-degree cold to become the first woman of Indian descent to break the record for the longest solo unassisted walk to the South Pole.
Despite the arduous conditions, she persevered, skiing for a remarkable 13 to 15 hours daily and managing with only five hours of sleep.
Captain Chandi expressed her honour and excitement when Kate became a patron of her expedition at the end of October stating that it’s an “absolute privilege.”
Speaking about Captain Chandi’s accomplishment, the princess reportedly said, “I just think it’s incredible, what you’ve been able to achieve.
“Being by yourself… as humans we are meant to connect and be with each other, and being on your own all that time is really challenging.”
“Well done,” Kate said. “You’re an inspiration to others.”
The Princess of Wales referred to Captain Chandi's exceptional feat of endurance as a demonstration of the kind of resilience and mental toughness that young girls would need in their lives.
“She’s been a huge inspiration, I’m sure, to all of you and certainly to me,” she said.
“I really hope it inspires you all to believe in yourselves, to push your boundaries, and to really work on your own resilience because there are such strong messages that help support our emotional and mental wellbeing.”
Nicknamed 'Polar Preet', the army officer motivated by her desire to inspire her niece, shared her uplifting tale with a captivated audience of young people.
She said, “It was important for me to bring people along with me on this expedition and I loved taking the winning school logos with me to Antarctica.
“Organising the school competition was close to my heart and it was such a privilege to have The Princess come to my hometown too.”
Captain Chandi, who lost 20 kilos during her expedition, supposedly experienced frostbite on her leg while in Antarctica, necessitating a surgical procedure to correct the issue before she could resume her duties in the Army.
But despite this setback, she managed to guide Kate and some of the students as they participated in her tire-pulling training routine.
Meanwhile, a GoFundMe campaign has generated over £11,000 in funds, with half of the amount being allocated to an "adventure grant" for women who embark on “unique challenges” and the other half going towards Captain Chandi's next expedition.
