Wayne County Wanderings: Beach Lake's Amy Neugebauer runs her 70th marathon
When planning a long-awaited vacation, most people look to enjoy a sun-soaked week lounging at the beach … or maybe a long snowy weekend skiing high in the mountains.
Amy Neugebauer isn’t most people, though.
Nope, Amy is a passionate distance runner who specializes in marathons. She got her start at Steamtown back in 2009 and hasn’t slowed down since.
Over the course of the past 13 years, Amy has run marathons all over the world. She’s competed in Boston, New York, Tokyo, London and Berlin. Just to name a few!
Back in 2019, Neugebauer set her sights on what would be her most ambitious destination to date: Iceland. Yes, Amy would fly to Reykjavik for the capital city’s annual marathon, which has existed in its current format since 1984.
Neugebauer first booked her dream trip in late 2019 with a target date of August 2020. Unfortunately, the coronavirus pandemic forced her to cancel twice, but Amy never gave up hope.
The stars all finally aligned early this year as her travel plans and race registration were confirmed at last. So, Amy and her Dad flew out of Newark last Tuesday, touching down in Reykjavik about six hours later.
The trip would close out an emotional period in Amy’s life … one involving rigorous training, injuries, professional challenges and most significantly her Dad’s courageous battle with cancer.
Family Pilgrimage
“I was never an athlete in high school,” Amy admitted. “Starting about 2007, I just dabbled a little bit running 5Ks with friends.
“I’d never run more than nine miles in my life. Then in 2009, I went out, ran 15 miles once and showed up at the Steamtown Marathon (26.2 miles) with a bag of gummy bears safety-pinned to me.”
By the time Amy crossed the finish line that fateful afternoon, she was hooked. From that day forward she ran every race she could. By 2019, Amy had reached her competitive peak, running 11 marathons and a 220-mile relay in a single calendar year.
Amy’s Dad, Phil Buckingham, is one of her biggest fans. He’s supported his daughter’s marathon running every step of the way, cheering her from start to finish at each race.
Phil had been healthy and active all his life, so it came as a genuine shock when he was diagnosed with colon cancer several years ago. Fortunately, after major surgery and an aggressive course of chemotherapy, Phil has made remarkable progress.
“By the grace of God, he’s been cancer free now for two and a half years,” Amy said. “The secret is keeping active. He followed doctors orders and kept active immediately after his surgery.
“Going to Iceland was originally supposed to be a celebratory trip, so it was awesome to have him there with me this year. He’s going to be 72 and was hiking and walking better than people half his age.”
Phil’s inspirational battle with cancer served as motivation for Amy as she competed on one of the world’s most notoriously difficult courses. The Reykjavik Marathon is noted for strong winds and treacherous terrain.
Neugebauer was aware of the race’s reputation long before she hit the starting line. However, she quickly understood that no amount of training could have adequately prepared her for the reality of the conditions.
“It was incredibly tough,” Amy said. “There were 30-35 mph head winds. They actually stopped you and blew you off track. I spoke to another runner who figured you lost 7-8 minutes due to wind gusts.”
Neugebauer crossed the line with a time of just over three hours and 40 minutes. Incredibly, she finished sixth in her division and 16th overall among female runners.
Amy’s official time of 3:40:37 qualified her for another trip to the Boston Marathon, which was legitimate cause for post race celebration with Phil. Needless to say, though, what father and daughter were truly celebrating was spending precious time together.
“Having my Dad there meant the world to me,” she said. “Iceland was the perfect trip for him because he loves hiking and the outdoors. Seeing him there at the finish line waiting for me after beating cancer was amazing.”
On the Job
Amy grew up in Wayne County, graduating from Honesdale High School in 1991.
That fall, she continued her academic career at Kutztown where she eventually earned an undergraduate degree in psychology. From there, Amy attended the University of Scranton and added a Master’s in School Counseling to her already impressive resume.
Neugebauer’s passion for education still wasn’t quenched, though. She enrolled at Wilkes University and secured two more degrees, one of which includes her K-12 Principal’s Certification.
Amy worked at Delaware Valley for six years back in the 1990s. She finally “came home” again in 2005 when she accepted a position as guidance counselor at Honesdale. This school year will be her 18th at HHS.
Greg Frigoletto is Superintendent of the Wayne Highlands School District. He and Amy have known each other for many years and had occasion to compare notes on their individual experiences.
As a former standout wrestler, Frigoletto is intimately acquainted with all the hard work necessary to be successful in any athletic endeavor. He’s also very impressed with Neugebauer’s dedication and focus … both professionally and as a marathoner.
“Amy’s accomplishments as a long distance runner are unmatched,” Greg said.
“As an athlete myself, I always viewed my sport as one of the tougher ones. Then I tried to run and realized, although wrestling is a very demanding sport, running is in a category all by itself.
“Amy has worked incredibly hard at both the physical and mental aspects of the sport. And, she’s mastered them. She’s endured many injuries along the way, but never let them prevent her from getting back in the game. Impressive, to say the least!”
Tim Morgan concurs.
The current Assistant Superintendent at Wayne Highlands, Morgan is a former athlete as well. He has a long history of playing, coaching and officiating baseball … a resume that also provides a unique perspective into Neugebauer’s accomplishments.
“I’ve always admired Amy and her dedication to both professional and personal ventures,” Tim said. “She’s a goal- setter and commits herself to achieving those lofty benchmarks she sets for herself.
“It’s a great reminder for all of us to aim high and know that with a little grit and perseverance, great things are possible.”
At the Gym
As Frigoletto mentioned, Amy has had to deal with more than her fair share of illness and injury during her running career.
Most recently, Neugebauer has been dealing with a rare autoimmune disorder called “dermatomyositis.”
According to the Mayo Clinic, this disease most commonly appears in women ages 45-65. Symptoms include pain, rash, joint inflammation and muscle weakness. There is no cure for dermatomyositis, but proper treatment can result in symptoms improving for significant periods of time.
A combination of healthy lifestyle and commitment to the prescribed treatment regimen has enabled Neugebauer to remain active and keep running. It’s also led her to become extremely involved in the local workout community.
“I receive Intravenous immunoglobulin (IVIg) infusions monthly,” Amy said. “My nurse tells me the secret to my health is my running and keeping active with CrossFit.”
Ashley Liptak and Ellie Provenzano are the founders of Honesdale’s CrossFit at the Garage, one of the most popular gyms in the region. Ashley and Ellie have been helping folks of all ages and abilities lead healthier lives for well over a decade.
Not surprisingly, Neugebauer has become a welcome fixture at the Garage over the past few years. In addition to pursuing her own fitness goals, Amy also offers her distance running expertise to CrossFit members … much to the delight of Liptak and Provenzano.
“Amy makes fitness and running fun,” Ashley said. “She believes in people and gives them the tools and opportunities to believe in themselves. The love of running has changed and in many ways, shaped her life. In turn, she has deeply impacted so many other loves because of it.”
Ellie agrees whole-heartedly.
“Amy is totally awesome!” she exclaimed. “Her dedication to her running, her coaching, her family and her work at Wayne Highlands is unmatched.
“Amy’s smile is contagious and she’s always a pleasure to be around. Amy shares her love of running with all she encounters. Her passion for coaching and her enthusiasm have always been some of my favorite things to witness.”
What's Really Important?
In recognition of all her amazing athletic achievements, the Wayne Area Sports Hall of Fame made Neugebauer a member of the Class of 2021.
At the Induction Dinner, which was held last fall at Woodloch Springs, officials unveiled Amy’s Hall of Fame biography. It reads, in part…
“Amy is one of our unique inductees who did not compete as a high school or collegiate athlete. Amy’s athletic accomplishments came later, but are still very impressive.
“Her biggest accomplishment came on April 28, 2019 when she earned her sixth star while competing in the Abbott World Marathon Majors. This is a series of six of most renowned marathons in the world. The races took place in Tokyo, Boston, London, Berlin, Chicago and New York.
“There are just 741 runners from the United States that have completed Abbott World Marathon Majors, and Amy is one of them.”
For her part, Amy is genuinely humbled and grateful to be where she is at this moment in her life. She’s already deep into preparations for her next marathons, which include Wineglass (Oct. 2) and Steamtown (Oct. 9).
When Neugebauer runs the New York City Marathon on Sunday, November 6, she’ll be raising funds and awareness for all the great work done by Allied Services.
“I’m very lucky and blessed and don’t take anything for granted,” Amy said. “That’s why I love running for Allied Services every year because I can take my passion of running and help others.
“We are never promised tomorrow.”
This article originally appeared on Tri-County Independent: Wayne County woman runs her 70th marathon... all the way in Iceland
