Long Island teacher running 7 marathons on 7 continents in 7 days

EAST HAMPTON, Long Island (WABC) -- A Long Island middle school teacher is planning to do something that few people in the world have even attempted: She will run seven marathons in seven consecutive days on all seven continents.

It's called the World Marathon Challenge.

"I'm very nervous, I'm trying my best to not be as anxious about it," said Cara Nelson, a seventh-grade social studies teacher at East Hampton Middle School. "I think once the gun goes off for the first marathon, the nerves will just go right out the window and my mental fortitude and willpower are going to take over. And I'm going to be excited to push through every day and complete the challenge."

Nelson said she did her first marathon only a year-and-a-half ago. Her World Marathon team, comprised of 15 people from the U.S., is hoping to raise $2 million for various causes, including fighting cancer, Parkinson's disease and Lou Gehrig's disease.

Nelson has turned the adventure into an entire lesson for her students. For the past several months, they've been studying the geography, climate and culture of each continent.

"Our essential question throughout the event itself is, how does geography influence the development of culture?" she said.

Nelson has lesson plans designed for the students for each continent, and she will be checking in with them via Google Classroom. She will also Skype with the students while she's running so they can ask her questions about what she's seeing and experiencing.

The event is expected to start January 30, with the first marathon in Antartica. From there it continues on to Cape Town, South Africa; Perth, Australia; Dubai, United Arab Emirates; Lisbon, Portugal; Cartagena, Colombia; and ends in Miami, Florida.

Donations to Nelson's team can be made at 777marathon.com. You can follow Nelson's progress on Twitter and Instagram at @RunMsNelsonRun or at RunMsNelsonRun.com.