Routines are performed in a 7x7 meter area to heart-pumping music.

She said she was surprised when she won her first national title in August 2005 at age 11.

"I just went out there and gave it my all," she said. "When they called my name, we were completely shocked."

Megan was determined to retain her title this August.

"This year I went in thinking I won last year so I want to work hard so I can win again," she said.

Megan got interested in aerobic gymnastics at age 9 when her mother, Lisa, was working at a Gold's Gym in Washington, D.C., and four world champions from Brazil were brought to the gym to introduce the sport.

One of her coaches was Olga Cardoso, a six-time world champion in aerobic gymnastics.

"When I first started I wasn't really into it," Megan said. "But Olga really helped me. She made it fun for me and she really got me into it."

The teacher-pupil relationship ended in January when Megan's father, Mark, a master sergeant in the Marine Corps band, was transferred to Marine Corps Base Hawai'i in Kane'ohe.

"I try really hard to do everything Olga taught me, and I try to do it five times harder, five times better," she said.

Since arriving in Hawai'i, Lisa Gleason has taken over as coach of her daughter even though she's not an expert in the sport.

Lisa said she has learned how to coach aerobic gymnastics "from Olga, and attending competitions and sitting through practices over and over again."

PASSION TO SUCCEED

Megan knows, with success comes sacrifice.

She practices seven days a week prior to competitions, according to her mother.

In addition to practicing her routines at Semper Fit gym on the base, Megan prepares for competitions by running on a treadmill, swimming, lifting light weights, doing chin-ups and working out with a stability ball.

Megan also has no one to train with.

In Washington, D.C., she had 20 to 30 kids her age to work out with, according to her mother, but here she's a solo act.

"It is really tough to be by myself," Megan said. "On the other hand, I like to be by myself because there are no distractions."

There are times when Lisa tells her daughter to rest, but she keeps going until everything is right.

"My mom is over here saying we should take a break and I'm just saying, 'No, I want to keep going and get it,' " Megan said. "I do that with pretty much everything, school, just playing basketball.

"I can be in the gym for hours doing the same thing over and over again until I get it just the way I want to in my mind."

Even when Megan is on break, she feels the need to practice.

"When I take a week off, I'm in the house doing stuff, like doing my elements, and I feel I need to get back to the gym," she said.

NO PAIN, NO GAIN

Training isn't easy, and Megan has suffered a few minor injuries along the way.

She has had pain in her back, wrists and upper quadriceps, and three weeks before this year's nationals in August she slightly tore the meniscus in her knee.

"Injuries are a concern because we don't want her to suffer any life-long issues," Lisa said. "Just try to stay as safety-conscious as possible with her wearing the right kind of braces and the right kind of mats.

"When she does get an injury, which is inevitable — you fall the wrong way or you slip or you're just tired one day — we take care of it right away. We get to the doctor, we get an X-ray, we get into physical therapy, massage therapy, whatever is necessary."

Lisa added stretching is very important and "as soon as she's hurt, we stop."

GAINING POPULARITY

Aerobic gymnastics is more popular in other countries, and it's pretty evident at international competitions, according to Lisa.

"The Russian and Chinese teams, and the Mexico team even, they have staffs of coaches, massage therapists and choreographers that they bring with them. Whereas these girls (from the United States) bring with them a parent and maybe one coach," she said.

Enthusiasts of the sport hope it can eventually gain Olympic status.

Reach Kyle Sakamoto at ksakamoto@honoluluadvertiser.com.