From the time he could stand on his own two feet, Nikolas Toocheck has been on the run.

“Nik has always had one speed, and that is fast forward,” says Daniel Toocheck, Nik’s father. “From the very beginning, you could tell that Nikolas put 100% into whatever he was doing. It was apparent that no matter whether he won or lost, he always wanted to do his best and to continually get better. It is a mindset that he has had for the longest time.”

Nik at last year’s Little League Baseball Camp.

The 13 year-old Toocheck, from West Chester, PA, has been a self-described on-the-go person, extremely energetic, surprising his family with just how much stamina he had as a child. With a seemingly never-ending outlet of energy, Nik decided to put his love of running to a far greater good than his own enjoyment and physical talents. It’s where he coined a motto that resonates with him and his family to this day – “Do What You Love For Good.”

It’s led him to do some pretty incredible feats at a very early age.

At five years old, Nik ran his first 5K, mostly on his father’s shoulders. At the age of six, his first race on his own and at nine years old on December 1, 2012, Nik ran his first marathon.

His goal to impact change didn’t stop there as he became a World Record holder for being the youngest ever to complete a marathon on all continents.

According to the website, http://www.nikrunstheworld.com/, his seven-continent journey raised more than $42,000 dollars for a non-profit organization called Operation Warm – started by Dick Sanford, the father of Tara Toocheck, Dan’s wife – with the mission of providing new winter coats to children in need. Thanks to the effort, 21,000 new coats were distributed soon thereafter.

“I have always thought that you have to love what you do, and if you can help others at the same time, it doesn’t get any better than that,” Nik explains.

Nik enjoys running alongside his father, Dan, in races.

No man under the age of 21 had run marathons on all seven continents according to Dan. His son at 11 years of age became the first.

Nik’s continental races allowed him to take in life-changing experiences such as holding koalas in Brisbane, Australia, to traveling to Africa where he and his Dad ran over a river in Zambia and through national parks, running alongside elephants onto breathtakingly beautiful scenery, high in the mountains of Switzerland and lost-in-time villages in the country of Georgia for his final race in Europe.

“We are both amazed by the people and places that we have been able to see,” Dan said. “We have seen penguins in Antarctica, lions in Africa, koalas in Australia, condors in South America and more. Perhaps one of the most fun things that happened is that we got to attend a baseball camp the day after running a marathon in Montana.”

“I have been lucky enough to run around the world and represent the United States. In some of the places I have visited, I might have been the first American that people have met face to face,” Nik said. “I would love to be able to someday do the same thing for the U.S. Olympic team in baseball, in Japan or in 2024.”

Stateside, both Dan and Nik had the opportunity to run races in very familiar areas; homes of Major League teams and their spring training partners. Because of the marathon opportunities, Nik was able to parlay that into baseball opportunities.

“The Missoula Osprey of the Pioneer League had a three-day camp in July that Nikolas got to attend that he would not of had the chance to attend if not for the marathon,” Dan said. “The players were so helpful and supportive. We also ran a marathon at the Camelback Ranch in Arizona, home of the spring training for the Dodgers and White Sox over Christmas break. We went to Wrigley Field before the marathon in Chicago and stayed in Wrigleyville.”

Getting to do all of these very cool experiences, he’ll now turn his attention to the needs of children across the United States.

His determination to continue helping the less-fortunate with potentially dangerous health conditions has led him to his next challenge – become the youngest to run 50 marathons in all 50 states. So far, Nik has completed marathons in 31 states with 19 more to go.

Partnering with the SEVA Foundation, Nik and Dan, an optometrist, are working with the organization based out of Berkeley, CA to help end suffering for many, providing vital sight-saving eye care to children with the hope of eliminating treatable blindness.

“I am so proud that Nikolas has been able to use his talents to help other kids get an opportunity to be successful in life,” said Dan. “The SEVA foundation helps eliminate treatable blindness around the world, and with so many players now coming from countries such as the Dominican Republic, Korea, South Africa and India, perhaps one of the kids he’s helped may make it to the big leagues some day!”

Toocheck at the Little League World Series in 2015.

In addition to running, baseball is something Toocheck also enjoys.

Nik, who first attended a summer camp in Williamsport, PA with Baseball Factory in July 2015, came to an Under Armour Baseball Factory National Tryout in Wilmington, DE earlier this month and will participate in December’s Baseball Factory Winter Classic at Historic Dodgertown in Vero Beach, FL. Nik hopes he can impart his experiences, creating positive outcomes for his teammates in December.

“I have tried to use the what I have learned through helping others to translate onto the baseball field. For example, practice and preparation are essential to being able to finish a marathon. Everyone loves to play the game of baseball, but you really need to love to work on your fundamentals and get better every chance you get. Also, it is almost guaranteed that an obstacle is going to come up that can potentially prevent me from finishing a race. You just need to trust yourself and the time you have put in on the diamond and in the batting cage. I try to be supportive and want to help my teammates do their best.”

He also wants to share a philosophy that he’s reminded of every race that he runs.

“I would tell my Baseball Factory teammates you just have to take each mile of running like an out of a baseball game. Just take it one at a time and move on to the next inning. Don’t let an error or strikeout get you down, just be ready for your next chance.”

Nik’s work hasn’t gone unnoticed as he was featured in a special called “Going the Distance”, that was seen on CBS back in mid-July. He hopes in the end that people can use his story as a springboard to do good for others as well.

“I hope my legacy will be to show people that if you work hard and persevere, great things can happen. We all have so much potential and with time and patience, you really can make a difference.”

If you would like to help make a difference, you can help donate to Nikolas’ cause by visiting the Donation Page.