National Football League

Lewis pulls out of Kilimanjaro climb

Published Jul. 5, 2013 1:00 a.m. ET

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Sam Gardner

Retired Baltimore Ravens linebacker Ray Lewis may have been able to play in February’s Super Bowl less than four months after tearing a triceps muscle, but a foot injury and a fever are keeping him from completing a charity climb of Mount Kilimanjaro this weekend.

According to the Baltimore Sun, Lewis was scheduled to participate in the climb through a charitable organization called TackleKili, which raises money and awareness for clean water projects in East Africa. Lewis was already in Tanzania, where he and others -- including former Chicago Bears defensive lineman Tommie Harris and Brad Pitt's brother, Doug -- provided hearing aids to children earlier in the week.

However, before the climb, which began Thursday, Lewis’ fever spiked and his foot began swelling. As a result, Lewis decided to pull out of that portion of the event.

"In the end, Ray’s decision was to let the team move on without him, rather than hold them back or put himself in a position where an injury which requires surgery could become even more complicated," TackleKili said in a statement to the Baltimore Sun. "As always, his team backed his play. So while Ray refocused his service to this cause at a lower altitude, his team began the ascent on behalf of those in desperate need of clean water."

Lewis also posted about the injury to his Twitter page:

The ascent of the 19,340-foot mountain is expected to be completed Sunday.

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