Leroy Ngai told his daughter, Leanne, if she won a gold medal in this month's 2007 Special Olympics World Summer Games, he would get her a karaoke machine.

She brought home four.

"That really gave her motivation," said Leanne's mom, Elaine, laughing.

Ngai, a 27-year-old powerlifter, was one of eight Hawai'i athletes who competed in the international competition Oct. 2 to 11 in Shanghai, China.

She took home gold medals in all four powerlifting categories — squat, bench, deadlift and combination — in her 165-pound weight class.

Fellow Hawai'i powerlifter Ray Donager took home three gold medals in the squat, bench and combination categories.

In all, the Hawai'i athletes brought home 19 medals (nine gold, four silver and six bronze).

"I am extremely proud of both the athletes and coaches from Hawai'i who participated in the World Games," said Dan Epstein, vice president of sports at Special Olympics Hawai'i. "They represented both Hawai'i and Team USA very well through great effort, sportsmanship, making new friendships and spreading the aloha spirit.

"Most of the athletes posted personal best times or scores in at least one, if not two or three of their events."

Not only was this Ngai's first time participating in the Special Olympics World Summer Games — it was the first time she ever left Hawai'i.

"I think we were more nervous than she was," said Elaine Ngai, laughing. "She's never been away from us."

Though Ngai plays other sports, including basketball and bowling, she decided to focus on powerlifting, a sport she picked up while attending Kaimuki High School.

For the past few months leading up to the international competition, Ngai trained at Gold's Gym for two hours, five days a week.

"(Powerlifting) is fun," said Ngai, who's been participating in Special Olympics for about 10 years. "And it helps with basketball."

More than the other sports, powerlifting requires technically sound execution, which made practicing the lifts and pulls much more important, said Denise Lindsey, the assistant coach in powerlifting.

"We really focused on her technique and form," said Lindsey, a competitive powerlifter who coaches the Special Olympics athletes on the Big Island. "(Our training) is grueling. I don't give them any slack at all. I treat them like anybody else. There's no reason why I would treat them differently. They can do it."

Ngai's four gold medals aren't on display yet.

She's still carrying them around with her and showing them to her friends.

But her parents hope to frame and hang them in their Kaimuki home.

Maybe next to the new karaoke machine.

Reach Catherine E. Toth at ctoth@honoluluadvertiser.com.