Author: preetchandi89

I wrote a kids book! It has some stories of my own adventures but more importantly how young people can plan and prepare for their own adventures.

I really hope it take you on your own adventures ❤️

I finished writing it in Chile just before flying to Antarctica before my latest expedition and I’m really excited for you all to see it!

Publication date is 23 May but it’s available to pre-order. Link to pre-order:

https://geni.us/Explorers-Guide

When I finished my last expedition I felt broken. I pushed past my limits and felt mentally and physically exhausted.

I was in so much pain – physically from my neck and calf injury. Neck pain started week one from pulling a heavy sled and looking down at my compass. Calf injury (the scar I have on my L calf named Elsa) started a few weeks in. The calf was painful but the neck was even worse. I was rationing my pain relief throughout the exped and only had one tablet (codeine) left for the last 14 days. I kept the tablet in my top left pocket.

I remember sections of the last week so vividly. I remember falling around 14 x every 2 hours. I remember just staying down on the floor for a few seconds before attempting to get back up again. I remember using my ski poles to lift my head up – my neck was flexed due to pain lifting it.

I remember being told I was out of time (end of season and last passenger flight out of Antarctica with ALE) and feeling distraught. And then to keep going when you’re not going to make your goal.

I remember seeing the plane. This dot in the distance that wasn’t white. I wished it was the plane but couldn’t see well in the low cloud. When the cloud cleared, I could see the dot. It took me so long to get to it, it still took me over 6 hours to get there. I can’t even tell you how slow I was moving at this point.

I remember seeing Rob Smith (ALE guide and overall Badass), crying my eyes out and just repeating “it was so hard.” I don’t know how many times I said it. I felt like I was trying to justify why I hadn’t made the end.

I didn’t make it. But I’m so glad I pushed. I’m so glad I went through the darkness of the last trip, I’m glad I kept going. It took me over 6 months to feel like myself again… but I came back stronger 🙏🏽

I honestly believe I would never have gotten my recent speed record without going through the last exped.

There is so much to say about that big exped, parts I think I’m still processing. This was the solo, unsupported 70 day expedition that I finished in Jan 2023.

📸 Photo taken by @robert_kelso_smith at the end of my 70 day exped as I’m approaching my pick up point.

I didn’t announce this expedition before I started and only a handful of people were aware of it.

It’s been an intense few years and I felt quite broken after the last expedition (less than a year ago). Taking unpaid leave from the Army to do the expedition, coming back to debt (after 1st exped) or a full time job… it hasn’t been easy.

I started my career break (unpaid leave) from the Army in Nov and there was a lot less pressure by not announcing the expedition.

However….. it was much harder to get funding. I didn’t get enough funding to cover the expedition so once again used everything I had to get here. Raising funds is one of the toughest things when it comes to expeditions.

I also love people following the journeys. They’ve always been about so much more than me and it really is a pleasure to bring you all along with me.

I’m glad I did it this way but not sure I can afford to do anymore trips quietly!

I don’t know what’s next for me but I’m learning how to look after myself a bit better after each exped and it’s really nice to be feeling good after this one 😊

📸 from the latest exped, alone on the ice 🇦🇶

Elsa (my scar from my polar thigh injury) is doing well. Really happy to report no injuries after this expedition. Just a little tired which is to be expected!

I had an extra merino wool base layer sewn in to protect it and checked my legs everyday to make sure I didn’t have any other injuries forming!

I always put weight on before an expedition. I put on 10kg and lost 10kg, I’ve lost fat and muscle so a lot of my big muscle groups have just deflated at the moment but looking forward to building them back up!

It has been great to get coverage for this latest expedition but I also want to clarify that this is not a speed record “across Antarctica” as a few have stated. Antarctica is huge! And as mentioned in my previous post, I have just dipped my toes into an ocean..

It is a female speed record from Hercules Inlet (inner coastline/landmass in Antarctica) to the South Pole. It’s really important to me to not exaggerate or enhance any claims and tell it how it is 😊

📸 Elsa is the name of my scar from my last trip. She’s doing well and was well protected for this expedition 💜

Sooooo… I did it again… just a little faster

I came back to Antarctica this year but without letting the world know in advance. and completed another solo unsupported expedition from Hercules Inlet to the South Pole but with a very specific goal.

This year was tough after attempting and not completing a big trip in Jan 2023. It took me a while to recover and I didn’t think I would come back out again this season. And then that little thought came into my head… what if…

Could I attempt a speed record?? This trip was a bit different for me, I honestly didn’t know if I would be quick enough but thought I’ll do everything I can and let’s see!

This was a solo expedition but there are so many people that helped me get here. These trips are so much bigger than me. It was only a few years ago that I didn’t know anything about this world and now I’m still amazed at what I can achieve.

We often face barriers and naysayers the more we achieve, something I continue to struggle with. But their words or actions have not stopped me yet and don’t let them stop you either.

My expedition was a female speed record, I completed the solo unsupported 1130km expedition in 31 days, 13 hours and 19 minutes. I have applied for the GWR and awaiting confirmation. It does not belong to me alone. It belongs to everyone that helped me get here. It is ours. I’m sure I will not hold the record for long and will happily help the person who beats it.

Antarctica is an incredible place to be and it’s always a privilege to be here. This is my third season in a row and I still feel as though I’m dipping my toe into an ocean (ok maybe two toes now… 😂). It is a place you treat with respect and hope it allows you safe passage. Thank you Antarctica for keeping me safe.

“Do you want to see my scar?”

Don’t swipe if you don’t want to to see the wound!

After I tell people the injury is called polar thigh, I really need to remember to say it’s on my calf!

I named her Elsa. This is the injury (polar thigh) that I got from my last expedition. I was wearing three layers of clothing – nothing tight fitting. Caused by the wind and cold.

It started quite early on in the 70 day exped, it looked like a bruise to start with and then a scab. When the scab broke open, the pain got worse. I rationed my pain relief for as long as I could and had one tablet left for the last 2 weeks (I took that in the last 48hrs).

I dressed it daily in the tent but after the wound opened, I kept the dressing on. A few photos of my leg during the trip and after..

So many people helped me get through the injury – I had surgery at Derby Univeristy Hospital back in Feb this year and all of the staff were amazing 💜

Elsa is doing well, she’s a little hypersensitive (on touch) but healing well. And she loves her name!

Explorer of the Year Award 🙏🏽

Younger me did not know what an explorer was, I did not know anything about adventure and to be honest, when I learnt a little, I did not think it was for me. Where would I fit into this adventurer world…

Today I’m so proud of myself. I really hope that I am relatable to people and can show that you really can start from anywhere (Googling how do you get to Antarctica) and go and do anything. It was hard work to get here but so worth it.

Thank you so much @sesexplore

Pushing out of your comfort zone can be absolutely anything. A few weeks ago, after “a little..” persuasion, my mum (aged 56) went on her first ever mountain ⛰️ 

She likes to walk, mainly done on pavements local to home. She made it about an hour from the top of the ⛰️, I’m so proud of her for pushing out of her comfort zone and getting that far. Next year we’ll go again with Khalsa Aid and hopefully it won’t be as much of a push out of her comfort zone.

The unknown can be scary but it is amazing what we can learn about ourselves when we take that first step. How much we grow and hopefully encourage others to push their boundaries too.  

The walk up Snowdon was with Khalsa Aid and it is an amazing day meeting so many different people from the community, all for a great cause.

Khalsa Aid: Recognise the Human Race as one 🙏🏽

Running this competition was very close to my heart. When organising anything, it can be a bit stressful! Working full time, planning my exped, training and then trying to organise this competition. But it was so worth it! 

I fell quite a lot in Antarctica, I faced many low moments. I would often look back at my sled at these 11 logos and smile.

Being able to announce the school winners each week and their words (why their logo should come to Antarctica) was a joy.

It took me a while to post this photo because I wanted to give it to all of the school winners first along with a small gift. I have now visited all of the winners of the school competition. 
Thank you all so much for taking part in the competition, it has been so lovely to meet you all 💜

I’m quite a passionate speaker, passionate about wanting to inspire people and show them they can push any boundaries so I hope this comes across in the talks. 

Unfortunately I am unable to attend anymore schools. I’m back in my full time Army role and grateful that they allowed me the time to go to these school 🙌🏽

📸 all the logos on my sled. Taken just under 24hrs after finishing and about to leave Antarctica. 

Whenever I come back from an expedition, I always receive comments about me being a millionaire and I have no idea where that comes from! The comments are generally from adults..

Maybe because I have been seen on the news – I do not get paid for the interviews.

I am in the Regular Army but took unpaid leave from work to do this expedition. My role in the Army is as a physiotherapist.

There is a huge contrast between the two expeditions I completed. Phase one was 700 miles to the Pole. Phase two was 922 miles. Other than the difficulty level, when I got back from phase one, I was in a lot of debt. I used my life savings and more to train for the expedition. This was a low point for me in training, I had used all of my money on training instead of for a house deposit and I still had no sponsors.

It took me over a year and a half to get my first sponsor on board for this trip. I emailed 10-15 companies daily and I’ll never forget the email when the first sponsor came on board.

For phase two, I was not being paid for the expedition as I took unpaid leave from work. I did not earn money from either exped but for phase two I did get enough sponsors to cover the cost of the expedition. This means I did not come back in debt 🙌🏽

The training and expeditions were tough but I also wouldn’t change any of it.

I’m not certain exactly what the future holds and there is a lot I want to do.. but I am currently back in my full time Army role.

One thing I can tell you is that I won’t ever stop pushing those boundaries..

📸 taken approx 4 hrs after finishing phase 2. On the plane on the way back to Union Glacier. Smiling because I know I get to have a shower in a few hours 😂