Kim Bormaster Recognized for Athletic Achievement

“I’m going to be on the wall of the JCC!” Kim Bormaster said, throwing her fists into the air, about one week before she was officially inducted into the Ronnie Arrow Jewish Sports Hall of Fame on Sunday, June 23.

Kim, 32, was one of two athletes selected for this honor this year and the first Special Olympics inductee in the program’s 24-year history. Her photo will soon hang on the wall at the Evelyn Rubenstein Jewish Community Center, along with the 88 other inductees into the program. The award recognizes Jewish individuals with roots or ties in the Houston area who have made lifetime achievements in sports and have given back to the community. Kim has accomplished both of these during her nearly 20-year commitment to Special Olympics.

More than 120 medals and ribbons decorate her family’s Bellaire home, and she’s even traveled to Athens, Greece where she played volleyball in the 2011 Special Olympics World Games. In addition, she’s served as a Global Messenger for Special Olympics, lobbying for the organization’s causes in Washington D.C. 

Photos of inductees hang on the wall at the JCC.  

“The [selection] committee has never inducted an individual who has been involved in Special Olympics,” said Joel Dinkin, CEO of the ERJCC of Houston. “Their feeling was that it’s time, and this is a very worthy individual to be considered. It was about taking an athlete who has achieved so much within her capabilities.” 

The selection committee is made up of a handful of community members and former inductees, and this year they selected Kim, along with diver David Biespiel, from a pool of 15 nominations. Kim was nominated by Jamie Weiner, manager of disability services at the Jewish Family Services and a former teacher at The Briarwood School, where Kim graduated from in 2008. Although Jamie never taught Kim, she said she knew about her and her dedication to Special Olympics. So when Jamie heard about the call for nominations, Kim immediately came to mind.  

“She excels in what she does and puts her mind to,” Jamie said. 

Kim Bormaster’s family — including her two sisters, her brother and three of her nephews — came to Sunday’s induction ceremony. 

Today, Kim continues to stay involved in Special Olympics, playing volleyball for the Houston Hot Shots as well as tennis with her double’s partner and mother, Leslie Bormaster. She has no plans to retire anytime soon.

“We joke that [Scott and I] will be 80 years old in walkers and still going to watch Kim’s Special Olympics games,” says Leslie.  

Editor’s Note: Stay tuned - read more about Kim in an upcoming issue of The Buzz Magazines.