It has been announced that the Princess of Wales, a.k.a. Kate Middleton, has become Patron of Captain Preet Chandi’s expedition across Antarctica, an adventure which will see Preet attempt to become the first woman to cross Antarctica on her own. The athlete will travel across the continent on a solo and unassisted expedition, covering over 1000 miles of icy terrain.
In January last year, Preet made history by becoming the first woman of color to reach the South Pole unassisted. She finished the route in 40 days, two days short of Joanna Davidson, who holds the female world record for the trip. Preet is apparently taking part in the challenge to “inspire future generations to believe in themselves,” to push their boundaries and “show how the outdoors can help them achieve their dreams.”
For her upcoming challenge, the adventurer will pull 264 pounds of her kit on a sledge while battling temperatures of -58 F and winds that can reach up to 60 mph. Preet will begin the journey in November, aiming to complete it within 75 days.
Buckingham Palace released a statement on Wednesday, October 26, which read, “The Princess has long been an advocate of the huge impact the outdoors can have on our wellbeing and the life skills it nurtures, such as confidence and resilience. She is committed to promoting this to young people, including through her work with organizations such as the Scouts, of which she is joint President. Preet’s historic expedition is the pinnacle of such activity and that is why the Princess is delighted to have been invited to be Patron.”
Preet released a statement alongside the announcement of the Princess of Wales as her patron in which she said, “My aim for this expedition has always been to inspire people to push their boundaries. I want to bring people on this journey with me, to help them believe that nothing is impossible. It is an absolute privilege to have The Princess of Wales as the Patron.”
This post was originally published on Tatler.
