70 days skiing alone across Antarctica: British woman breaks world records

Facing bitterly cold temperatures and surrounded by thousands of miles of ice, Preet Chandi just kept skiing. Hour after hour, day after day, she pushed herself.

Chandi, a 33-year-old British Army captain, set out to ski alone across Antarctica. In 70 days and 16 hours, she skied 922 miles and set a world record for the “furthest unsupported solo Polar ski expedition in history,” according to a Thursday, Jan. 26, news release from the British Army.

To set the record, Chandi skied anywhere from 13 to 15 hours a day, pulling a 264-pound sledge loaded with supplies. Along the way, she faced “horrendously difficult conditions,” officials said. Temperatures dropped to the -20s Fahrenheit, winds reached 60 mph, and the arctic conditions felt like -58 Fahrenheit.

Chandi said the expedition was “the toughest thing I’ve ever done. I had a heavier pulk and the conditions were harder this season but I felt it was important to keep going.”

Although she broke a world record, Chandi fell short of her initial goal of crossing Antarctica, the release said. She was picked up about 100 miles away from reaching that goal.

“Mentally, it was tough knowing I didn’t have enough time to make the crossing,” Chandi said, “but the expedition was about pushing my boundaries and inspiring others to do the same, so how could I not continue?

“I’m disappointed I ran out of time to make the crossing of Antarctica,” she said in the news release, “but I did everything I could. I didn’t take a day off and pushed as hard as possible every day. I’m proud that I kept going when it was tough, and I thought I couldn’t do any more. I wanted to keep pushing my own boundaries and inspire others to do the same.”

The previous world record holder, retired British Lt. Col. Henry Worsley, solo skied 907 miles across Antarctica, per the release. Soon after being picked up from the trek, he fell sick and died.

In completing her polar expedition, Chandi also became the first woman to solo ski to the South Pole twice, officials said. Both of her polar expeditions took place within 12 months, earning her the nickname “Polar Preet.”

Steve Jones, expedition manager for Antarctic Logistics Expeditions, described Chandi’s recent expedition as “one of the most physically demanding challenges on Earth,” per the release.

“Her indomitable courage and determination are quite remarkable,” he said. “She has pushed the boundaries of human endeavor.”

On her blog, Chandi wrote, “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,” per a Jan. 26 post.

“If a Punjabi woman from Derby can do this, then anybody can achieve anything,”

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