Chatting to Preet Chandi

Preet Chandi was a tennis prodigy from a traditional British Punjabi family, living away from home from a very early age. She left school with very few qualifications, joined the army reserves without telling her family, got into university, became an officer in the regular army, got a masters and decided to go to the South Pole on her own.

This is a two parter in one episode about the grit, determination and drive of an extraordinary woman. She would tell she’s not extraordinary, but I challenge you to listen to this without being inspired to do something bigger than you, against all the odds and pre-conceptions of society.

I spoke to Preet before she left to eventually become the first woman of colour to reach the South Pole unsupported (spoiler alert) and then had the pleasure of catching up with her not long before she went back again to attempt to cross the whole of Antarctica unsupported, with the goal of being the first woman to do so.

The change in tone between the first half and the second is interesting. The talkative, enthusiasm is still there but you can hear very clearly the gravity that such an endeavour bestowed upon her. A maturity, a worldliness and perhaps a little bit of the unresolved frustrations she has experienced since her return.

Preet is out of the ice as I publish (Dec 2022) in her Phase 2 and you can follow her on IG @polarpreet and on her website www.polarpreet.com