Houston-Area Engineer Living with Parkinson’s Launches Second Attempt on Aconcagua, the Highest Mountain in the Americas

THE WOODLANDS, TX -- Tomas “Tommy” Melli, a 69-year-old retired chemical engineer living with Parkinson’s disease, will begin a second attempt to summit Aconcagua (22,841 feet/6,961 meters), the highest peak in the Americas, on January 5, 2026, as part of his ongoing effort to raise awareness and funds for Parkinson’s research.

Living with Parkinson’s since age 62, Melli has turned diagnosis into action. His journey has been highlighted in the United States by the Houston Chronicle and ABC and NBC affiliates in Houston, and internationally by La Nación, CNN Radio Argentina, and Cadena 3 in Argentina, among others.

In 2024, Melli attempted Aconcagua for the first time, reaching 17,500 feet before a storm forced him to turn back. He planned to return in 2025, but a prostate cancer diagnosis and subsequent treatment led to anemia and delayed the climb.

Instead of stopping, Melli adapted.

In 2025, he completed the full 800-kilometer Camino de Santiago across Spain over 35 days, battling illness and storms while raising funds for Parkinson’s research. The experience, he says, reaffirmed a core belief that has guided him since his diagnosis: movement is medicine.

“Parkinson’s doesn’t rest and neither do I,” said Tommy Melli. “Movement is medicine for me, and every climb and every mile helps raise awareness and push research forward for the people who will need it next.”

Born in the small town of Cucha Cucha, Argentina, Melli worked continuously for more than 50 years, rising to a global management role as a chemical engineer before retiring quietly after his diagnosis. Since then, he has taken on a series of endurance challenges to remain active:

• 2021: Summited Mount Whitney (14,505 ft)
• 2022: Summited Mount Kilimanjaro (19,341 ft)
• 2024: Aconcagua Attempt #1 - raising more than $40,000
• 2025: Prostate cancer diagnosis and recovery
• 2025: Walked 800 km across Spain on the Camino de Santiago, raising $28,400

Together, Melli’s efforts have raised nearly $70,000 for Parkinson’s research.

This return to Aconcagua will also benefit Parkinson’s research through the Michael J. Fox Foundation as well as Argentina’s Instituto Leloir, a Buenos Aires–based scientific research center, and INDEPAR, an Argentine nonprofit promoting Parkinson’s research, awareness, and movement-focused well-being.

Located in Mendoza Province in the Andes of Argentina, Aconcagua (22,841 feet/6,962 meters) is the highest peak in the Americas and one of the famed Seven Summits, known for its altitude and rapidly changing weather that challenge even experienced climbers.

Supporters can learn more, make a donation, or follow along for updates at www.tommywalks.org, and on social media:

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/followtommywalks
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/followtommywalks
WhatsApp: https://www.whatsapp.com/channel/0029Vb78Uyh1NCrTXQB4SQ0n