Reena Kaushal, First Indian woman to ski to South Pole

Reena Kaushal on Thursday, Dec 31, became the first Indian woman to ski to the South Pole.

38-year-old Kaushal, made the historic ski-run as part of an eight-woman Commonwealth team that crossed a 900 km Antarctic ice trek to reach the South Pole.

Skiing eight to 10 hours a day, Kaushal and her teammates from seven other countries covered the frozen continent to the pole in about 40 days.

Each skier towed a sledge with food and gear weighing some 80 kg.

Kaushal said in a statement online, "The skiers braved blinding blizzards, jet speed winds blowing in excess of 130 km an hour and temperatures of minus 40 degrees Celsius."