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@KensingtonRoyalThe Princess of Wales visited Landau Forte College Derby with Captain Preet Chandi MBE to celebrate her return from her solo expedition across Antarctica.
The Princess of Wales was Patron of Preet’s expedition, where Captain Chandi broke the world record for the furthest unsupported solo Polar expedition in history. Pushing the boundaries of human endeavour, Preet covered 922 miles in 70 days and 16 hours, skiing for 13-15 hours a day with as little as five hours sleep at times.
Preet pulled all her kit and supplies on a sledge weighing around 120kg while battling temperatures of -30c and wind speeds of up to 60mph. Captain Chandi undertook the challenge to inspire future generations to believe in themselves, to push their boundaries and show how the outdoors can build the life skills to help them achieve their dreams.
The school visit in her hometown of Derby, kicked off Captain Chandi’s UK-wide tour of schools where she will share her story and her inspirational message with the next generation.
During the visit, Captain Chandi made a speech to students about her expedition, with The Princess joining her in presenting an award to Simrat Soggi, one of the winners of Preet’s national school logo competition.
Her Royal Highness then joined students as they took part in some activities which brought to life the expedition and how Preet prepared for it, including some examples of how she trained and the types of food she consumed.
The visit finished with Captain Chandi and The Princess speaking to a group of Year 11 and Year 13 students about building resilience and mental wellbeing in all aspects of life. 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.
