Having completed two world-record-breaking polar expeditions, a British Army officer says she is honored to receive the MBE.
Preet Chandi, also known as Polar Preet, set her two records during an expedition to Antarctica this winter.
Tuesday's investiture ceremony at Windsor Castle featured a tribute to her from the Princess Royal.
Her most recent journey, which she hopes will inspire others, she said while accepting her award that she was "still recovering" from.
It's just really important to say that if I can go and accomplish something like this, anyone can go and accomplish anything, and hopefully people can relate that to whatever their interests are, whether it's the arts, science, adventure, or whatever it is, she said.
Capt. Chandi of Derby broke both the overall record and the world record for the longest polar ski expedition by a woman.
She broke the previous world record of 907 miles (1,459.8km) set by retired lieutenant colonel Henry Worsley in 2015 by traveling 922 miles (1,485km) from the Hercules Inlet to the Reedy Glacier across Antarctica in 70 days and 16 hours.
In challenging circumstances, Capt. Chandi dragged her equipment and supplies on a sledge (pulk) that weighed about 19 stone (120 kg) throughout the trek.
In 2021, she was rumored to have become the first person of color to finish a solo expedition across Antarctica.
She said she enjoyed talking to Princess Anne about the challenges of her journey during the investiture. She works as a physiotherapist at a local rehabilitation facility in Buckinghamshire.
She questioned me about how I was feeling following the trip and how I liked it. I replied that I was doing well and recovering from surgery.
She also questioned me about whether or not being a physiotherapist had been beneficial. I replied that the medical knowledge I brought with me on the trip was undoubtedly useful. ".
Capt. Chandi explained that she had "polar thigh," a condition brought on by the cold that affected her calf and for which she received a skin graft.
Among the 67 individuals honored at the ceremony were Conservative MPs Dame Maria Miller, Sir Jeremy Wright, and Tracey Crouch.
