蜜芽传媒

Harpreet Chandi has already achieved great physical feats - like the Marathon des Sables, a 250km race across the Sahara Desert - but she's now about to set off for a solo trek across the South Pole.

The 32-year-old army physiotherapist, hopes to become the first woman of colour to complete a solo unsupported trek across Antarctica to the South Pole. She'll face strong winds and temperatures as low as -50C when she sets off on the 700 mile (1,127km) trek.

She is a woman of Asian origin - the first to take on this very particular, extremely difficult challenge. She spoke to Newsday about why she swapped the heat for the ice:

"The reason why I wanted to go to Antarctica is because I didn't really know much about it and I thought to myself if I do something that I don't know much about and it's so far out of my comfort zone that hopefully it will inspire people to do something outside of their comfort zones..."

(Photo: Harpreet Chandi in the snow. Credit: Harpreet Chandi)