Indian-origin British Sikh Army officer and physiotherapist, Captain Harpreet Chandi created history by becoming the first woman to complete a solo unsupported trek to the South Pole.Chandi gave this announcement through her live blog on Monday, after ending the 40th day and traveling 700 miles (1,127 kilometers).
“I made it to the South Pole where it’s snowing. Feeling so many emotions right now. I knew nothing about the polar world three years ago and it feels so surreal to finally be here. It was tough getting here and I want to thank everybody for their support,” she wrote.
“This expedition was always about so much more than me. I want to encourage people to push their boundaries and to believe in themselves, and I want you to be able to do it without being labelled a rebel. I have been told no on many occasions and told to ‘just do the normal thing’, but we create our own normal," Chandi said.
She uploaded the live tracking map of her trek and also posted videos of her trekking throughout her journey. “Day 40 – Finished. Preet has just made history becoming the first woman of colour to complete a solo expedition in Antarctica,” reads the final entry of her blog."You are capable of anything you want. No matter where you are from or where your start line is, everybody starts somewhere. I don’t want to just break the glass ceiling; I want to smash it into a million pieces,” she said.
Chandi lives in London, she is pursuing her master's degree in Sports and Exercise Medicine, part-time, at Queen Mary’s University in London.