SLIPPERY ROCK — From getting started to getting gold, Megan Fletcher has enjoyed the trip.

A senior adaptive physical activity and rehabilitation major at Slippery Rock University, Fletcher began a gymnastics program for Butler County Special Olympics in 2005.

Last month, she watched 15-year-old Abby Pukylo win the gold medal in all-around for her age bracket in Division IIand 11-year-old Natalie Coyne claim gold on the balance beam at the Pennsylvania Special Olympics competition at Penn State University.

"It was inspiring just seeing their faces,"Fletcher said. "Carly Patterson, an Olympic gold medalist, was on hand and we all got pictures taken with her. What an experience!"

Fletcher competed in gymnastics for eight years at X-Cel in Cranberry Township. Through her major in college, she began doing volunteer work for Butler County Special Olympics.

She started out as an assistant soccer coach, though her athletic specialty was gymnastics.

"They didn't have a (gymnastics) team and a few of our soccer players expressed interest in trying it,"Fletcher said. "I got the rules and regulations for it, we have a gymnastics facility at SRUthat we could use, so we decided to go for it."

Three fellow SRUstudents — senior Christie Willison and sophomores Amy Yatsko and Sara Miller — joined Fletcher in coaching the team. They work with the gymnasts on a weekly basis.

Yatsko is a physical education major and was in a class with Fletcher. Willison is a secondary education major and a longtime friend of Fletcher's, while Miller is a therapeutic recreation major and a former gymnast at Moon High School.

"They've all been great,"Fletcher said. "We've needed the one-on-one coach-athlete relationship to make the sport work for our girls."

Three Special Olympians were on Fletcher's first team in 2005. She had six on this year's team and a few more might be joining the squad.

Next year, Fletcher hopes to host a gymnastics competition at SRU, though Butler County is the only Special Olympics gymnastics program in the immediate area.

"I think the next closest is in West Chester,"Fletcher said. "It may be difficult getting teams to come here, but we really want to host an event for our athletes. That's my biggest goal right now. They've come so far."

Two of the athletes are autistic. An 8-year-old team member has severe autism, but is making progress in the sport like her teammates.

"It's just step by step, working with them,"Fletcher said. "At first, we had to get them to just move around. Then we got to front hand springs on the vault. It's been slow, but steady, progression."

Yatsko said the success at the state meet happened sooner than expected.

"We knew the girls were talented and knew the routines, but we didn't expect the performance so quickly,"she said.

The Special Olympics floor routine lasts from a minute to 90 seconds. Miller couldn't contain her emotion as she watched Patterson drape the gold medals around the athletes' necks.

"It was amazing. I was crying,"Miller said. "I couldn't believe our little team from Butler County, with just two girls competing, got gold.

"It's a lot of fun working with these athletes, but it's challenging. There's so much repetition. This experience helps me identify with the kids a little more. I can push them more because I know they're capable of doing it."

Willison admitted to being "apprehensive"when she first joined the program.

"I had never worked with Special Olympians before," she said. "It's been a unique experience. The longer we were around them, the better relationship we had with them.

"I'm sure the program is going to grow. Having two girls win gold medals will help because other athletes will develop confidence they can do the same."