Preet Chandi

Preet Chandi MBE is a solo polar explorer and extreme endurance athlete who holds four Guinness World Records, including becoming the first Asian female to complete a solo ski expedition to the South Pole. Drawing from her experiences of extreme expeditions, Preet shares powerful lessons on resilience and leadership with a wide range of audiences globally.

Preet’s sense for adventure and challenge started with running marathons and ultra-marathons in her early adulthood. She trained and qualified as a physiotherapist and worked in the NHS before joining the Territorial Army and later the British Army at 27, where she worked her way up to Captain and Clinical Training Officer of the Royal Army Medical Corps. Her first solo expedition from Antarctica to the South Pole in 2021 included a 40-day journey, travelling 700 miles and pulling a sled weighing 200 pounds, where she became the first woman of colour to reach the South Pole solo and unsupported. Breaking two Guinness World Records, her second expedition across Antarctica was the longest solo unsupported one-way polar ski journey and the longest journey of this nature to be achieved by a woman. Her most recent expedition in 2023 earned her another Guinness World Record for the fastest solo unsupported female expedition to the South Pole. 

Recognising her extraordinary achievements, Preet was appointed an MBE in the 2022 Birthday Honours and awarded two honorary degrees from the University of Derby and St George’s University of London. She has also won numerous prestigious awards, including Explorer of the Year by the Scientific Exploration Society, Woman of the Year and the Inspirational Award at the Women in Defence Awards, and the DARPAN International Sensation Award. In 2024, she published a book, ‘The Explorer’s Guide to Going Wild’, to inspire the next generation of explorers. Due to her courageous expeditions and breaking four records, Preet became a Guinness World Records ICON and a recipient of the Royal Geographical Society’s Geographical Award in 2025.

An inspiring keynote speaker, Preet speaks on building mental resilience, pushing through self-doubt and setbacks, inclusion and setting goals. The mission for her adventures has always extended beyond records – it is rooted in representation and inspiration. If you are looking for a unique motivational speaker for your workplace or school, hire Preet for your next event.