On January 3, Captain Harpreet Chandi, an Indian-origin British army officer and a physiotherapist became the first woman of colour to complete a solo unsupported trek to the South Pole, Antarctica. A journey which commenced in November 2020 concluded at the end of day 40, when Chandi announced on her live blog that she had made it to the South Pole while pulling a sledge which carried her kit. She trekked 700 miles (1,127 kilometers) braving temperatures of minus 50 degrees Celsius and wind speed of around 60 mph.

“It definitely feels colder in the last degree where I’m at higher altitude. I haven’t seen anyone here in the last degree and now I’m 15 nautical miles from the South Pole. I can’t believe I’m almost there,” Chandi had written on her blog on Sunday, a day before she concluded her trek.