Neill retires as GOTR county coordinator

DJ Neill, a longtime resident of West Milford, has retired from Girls on the Run (GOTR) after almost 10 years of working as both a coach and coordinator for the organization.

She was honored at the 20th GOTR New Jersey North 5K on Saturday, May 13.

Neill was introduced to GOTR in fall 2013, when a fledgling Sparta chapter was invited to West Milford to discuss starting a local chapter.

Melissa Fagersten, GOTR board member, on May 13 recalled that first meeting with Neill. According to Fagersten, Neill came up to her after the meeting and said, “I don’t have any kids, but I’ve got dogs and I want in on this.”

With her desire to be a coach, GOTR gave Neill the opportunity she was looking for. She started coaching girls in grades 3-5 in West Milford.

By 2016, she was on the staff of GOTR, working as the Passaic County coordinator. She has been in that role ever since.

Passaic County GOTR has been the recipient of Neill’s personal touches throughout her tenure.

Something that was important to her was bringing together all of the girls in the county. Neill began organizing a practice run at West Milford High School, where all the runners in Passaic County came together to prepare for the 5K at the end of the program.

Neill believes that GOTR is more important than ever for girls today.

“Kids have so much pressure on them now. They’re exposed to so much,” she said.

GOTR addresses many of the issues that girls are facing while also helping them train to run a 5K. “They need these life lessons,” she said.

Olivia Schmelz, 18, a senior at West Milford High School, has been inspired by Neill.

“Whenever I think of GOTR, I immediately think of DJ,” she said.

Schmelz joined the program as a third-grader, with Neill as her coach, and continued running with her through eighth grade. “She’s impacted my life so much that when I was younger, I decided I wanted to be just like her.”

Neill is off to new adventures. In addition to being a fitness instructor, she plans to host a wellness event at the West Milford Elks Lodge on Sept. 23. The event, entitled Autumn Awakenings, will offer yoga and sound bathing.

As Neill starts a new chapter, she continues to praise the power of GOTR. “The world is getting a little crazy. These girls need all the help they can get.”