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PLEASANT HILL, ILL. -- A Pleasant Hill High School student returned to school Monday as an Olympic champion.

Students attended a welcome home rally for 18-year-old Erin Hart, at the high school's gymnasium Monday.

Hart competed in figure skating during the Special Olympics World Winter Games in South Korea a couple of weeks ago.

She won a gold medal for Level 2 Ladies Figure Skating. Germany and Finland took silver and bronze respectively.

Hart has autism and began ice skating two years ago. She skated as a young child every once in a while, but truly began to pursue figure skating in the Autumn of 2011.

She began competing in Special Olympics just last year. Click here to watch Hart practicing and preparing for World Special Olympic Winter Games.

Hart is the daughter of Rawn and Kathy Hart both from Pleasant Hill, Ill. Her grandparents are Virginia and the late Bing Hart of Pleasant Hill and Arlene and Gary McKinnon of Nebo, Ill.

Click here to read more.

*KHQA's Brooke Hasch and Melissa Shriver contributed to this report.