Equipped with Pelican Gear, Disabled Navy SEAL Veteran Carlos Moleda Climbs to Benefit African Charity

US Navy SEAL veteran and para athlete Carlos Moleda has reached the summit of Mt. Kilimanjaro on his uniquely designed hand pedaled mountain bike. Moleda’s wife Sarah and two of his SEAL Teammates joined him, including Paul Tharp, Pelican Products’ Director of Sales and Business Development for the Commercial and Government division.

Moleda was wounded in a combat operation, leaving him paralyzed from the waist down and he entered competitive sports in order to recover from his traumatic injuries. He is a five-time Ironman World Champion, a leading member of Team Paralyzed Veterans Racing and serves as a spokesman for Challenged Athletes Foundation.

“If I’m going to be the guy in the chair, I’m going to be the best in the chair,” said Carlos Moleda.

“When Carlos called me and asked if I would join him on this once-in-a-lifetime trip, I knew there was no way I could say no,” said Tharp. “He has turned his misfortune into his greatest adventure and is an extremely accomplished athlete. I am very excited and proud to join him on this endeavor.”

The team departed for the expedition on August 25th and reached the summit by September 1st. The team put to good use Pelican’s rugged products including Pelican™ flashlights 7000 & 1920, headlamps 2760, phone casea, and Pelican Luggage EL22, EL27, & EL30.

This historic climb benefits the Himalayan Cataract Project (HCP), an organization that works to eradicate preventable and curable blindness in the developing world. It also funds and facilitates education, training, and equipment for local eye-care professionals across Asia and Sub-Saharan Africa. Together with its partners, the HCP has screened and examined over 5.2 million patients from 16 countries and provided over 445,000 surgeries.