Antarctica is the world's last great wilderness. Buried under snow and ice, it is so hostile that no one lives there permanently. "A remote, lonely and desolate continent", says David AttenboroughAn English broadcaster and natural historian known for his wildlife documentaries. .

It's there that Preet Chandi has made history. In January, she dragged a 95kg sledge with her belongings for 45 days to become the first woman of colour to trek solo to the South PoleThe geographical South Pole is the southernmost point on the Earth's surface. It is 1,780 miles from the magnetic South Pole..

The 32-year-old faced 200mph winds and freezing temperatures. It was the greatest challenge of her life.

Chandi trained for years. She runs ultramarathons and has completed "the toughest footrace on Earth", the Marathon des SablesThe six-day, 156-mile ultramarathon covers the distance of six regular marathons. It takes place in southern Morocco where temperatures can reach 50C. across the Sahara.

During a 27-day expedition in Greenland, she survived extreme weather, frostbite and white-outs. She spent weeks pulling a tyre along the streets near her home, practising for the pulkA sledge pulled by dogs or a skier to transport food or equipment. From the Finnish, pulkka. she later used in Antarctica.

She named the sledge after her niece and her skis after her nephew. For company, she carried voice messages from loved ones.

But "Polar Preet" was not just fighting the wilderness. She wants to challenge cultural "barriers and boundaries." When people think of polar explorers, she says, they imagine white men. She wants to change that.

In 1912, Robert Falcon Scott led the first British expedition to the South Pole, only to discover Roald Amundsen had beaten them. Scott and his companions died on the return journey.

In 1515, Ernest Shackleton watched an ice floeA large pack of floating sea ice. In the winter, Antarctica doubles in size as part of the Southern Ocean freezes over. crush his ship. His team survived a perilous 830-mile ocean voyage in a lifeboat.

These "huge polar names", says Chandi, were "incredible people". But she wants to "add more diversity" and inspire people to follow her example.

In the British Asian community, she says, few people do "outdoorsy things" and there is a lot of pressure to choose conventional careers. Her message to young explorers is, "you can do it regardless".

But do we need more explorers? George MalloryAn English mountaineer who attempted to be the first to scale Mount Everest in 1924, alongside Andrew Irvine. Both died during the attempt, although their bodies were not found until 1999. It is not known whether they reached the summit before their deaths. famously said he climbed Mount Everest "because it's there". Today, 800 people attempt the summit each year, creating traffic and "the world's highest garbage dumpThere are no toilets on the world's highest mountain. More than three tonnes of rubbish has been left on Everest, including tents, climbing equipment and human waste.".

The British adventurer Alastair Humphreys admits these feats are "totally pointless". However, they push us out of our comfort zone.

But he says we need to "break down the elitism in adventure". His solution is the "microadventure": climb a hill, sleep out under the stars, explore your city. Mini-expeditions to leave you "buzzing" without risking your life at the bottom of the world.

Yes: Expeditions prepare us for challenges. We learn to solve problems and to deal with disappointment. Adventure sharpens our senses. We can come home aware of our potential and do amazing things in our lives.

No: Exploration is an expensive hobby for adrenaline junkies. Most of us do not want to leave the comfort of our homes. If everyone went off on adventures all the time, society would grind to a halt.

Or... It is important to follow your dreams. If that means becoming an explorer, follow that dream. But others follow different pursuits. A mixture of people and goals is what makes society interesting.