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Women's Gymnastics

2026 Iowa Athletics Hall of Fame Spotlight: Kim Baker-El Abiad

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Why is being inducted into the University of Iowa Athletics Hall of Fame meaningful to you?
I would say that gymnastics dominated my life through high school. It was what motivated me, and I strived for perfection day in and day out. Everything else revolved around it, which perhaps wasn’t always healthy. At that time, it essentially defined me. As I approached the end of high school, I was quite burned out. My time at Iowa helped me to develop other aspects of my personality and my mind and helped me to see there was so much out there in the world beyond gymnastics. Gymnastics remained a huge part of my life, but I experienced it in a new and different way and once again found the joy in it.

My time and experiences as a gymnast at both the club and collegiate levels led me to where I am today. If it wasn’t for gymnastics, I would not be the person, the wife, the parent, nor the physician I am. So, though I retired from the sport and moved on to the next chapter when I graduated from college, gymnastics would always be a large part of my foundation. I know how much my time at Iowa and competing in the sport of gymnastics meant to me.

To be reminded of that time and to have others remember me for what I accomplished during my time at Iowa is truly an honor.  I am humbled and grateful to be inducted into the Iowa Athletics Hall of Fame. It shows me that what I did also meant something to others.

What achievement from your time as a Hawkeye makes you most proud?
As an individual, being awarded the Robert F. Ray Faculty Representative Award my senior year made me very proud. It showed me that I had successfully achieved balance in academics as well as athletics while also stepping into a leadership role as an upperclassman.

Also, scoring a perfect 10 on vault was a proud moment. Gymnastics is a sport where one strives for perfection, and it is rarely achieved. For that one moment in time there was perfection—at least in the eyes of those judges. It was an indescribable feeling.

What was the toughest stretch of your athletic career, and how did you work through it?
The toughest stretch of my athletic career was when I tore my patellar tendon on my 16th birthday during a meet when I peeled off bars before a dismount. It was my freshman year of high school, and it meant my season was over. I had surgery to reattach the tendon and was in a full leg cast for six weeks followed by a hinged brace for another six weeks.

For an athlete used to training 6–7 days a week for 4–6 hours a day, this was a major shock to me physically and mentally. I wanted to continue to do gymnastics, and I still wanted to potentially compete in college. It would have been very easy to just be done at that point, but I didn’t know who I was or what to do without gymnastics, and I knew deep down I wasn’t done.

I was back in the gym as soon as I was released from the hospital doing everything I could to try to stay in shape. I still went to practice every day and did strength, conditioning, and flexibility. I even swung on bars with a full leg cast on the day after I left the hospital so my hands wouldn’t get “soft.”  Perhaps not my smartest decision, but that was how determined I was. That time tested my mental fortitude, but I just took it day by day, keeping my goals in mind and accepting that injury was a part of sports, but it didn’t need to be the end.

Is there a particular moment in competition at Iowa that still stands out to you today?
I am not sure there is a single moment that stands out above others but rather a collection of moments: qualifying as a team to regionals in 1995; supporting each other as a team during meets; loving the energy of home meets from the fans, especially when we had meets at Carver-Hawkeye Arena.

Beyond your sport, what’s a favorite memory from your time in Iowa City?
I loved the beautiful Iowa campus. Coming from Texas, I hadn’t really experienced four seasons. I loved the change of seasons and the change of campus across the seasons. I also loved the spirit of the Hawkeye community and the support for all of the sports at Iowa. The people of Iowa are friendly and welcoming, and they love their Hawkeyes. Academically, there were innumerable opportunities to help students find the path for their future.

Where has life taken you since your days at Iowa, and what are you passionate about today?
After I graduated from Iowa, I went to medical school at the University of Iowa. I graduated from medical school in 2000 and ultimately found myself back in Texas for my internal medicine residency, then came back to Iowa to complete the Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine Fellowship. I met my husband during my fellowship training, and we both subsequently joined the faculty at UI Health Care. After our fourth child was born, we briefly moved to Texas to be closer to my family, but in a short period of time found ourselves back at Iowa. I was truly meant to be at Iowa, and it has become home. Were it not for coming to Iowa for gymnastics, I cannot imagine what my life would be like.

We have four children ranging in age from 12 to 17. My husband and my kids are my world. They keep me grounded, and they are my proudest accomplishments. I remain on faculty at UI Health Care. As a pulmonologist, my focus has been on lung cancer (diagnosing, managing pulmonary complications of lung cancer and its treatment), lung cancer screening, and interventional pulmonology/bronchoscopy. I love the work that I do, and I consider it a privilege to care for and interact with patients each and every day.

How did being a Hawkeye student-athlete shape the person you became?
As a student-athlete, I learned how to balance my time to achieve success in both academics and athletics. I learned the value of teamwork and the importance of being a good and supportive teammate. I learned how to manage stress and remain calm and thoughtful in stressful situations and how to focus on the task at hand.  My experience as a student-athlete helped develop skills that were invaluable as I followed a path into medicine as a career.

Do you still have any treasured mementos or keepsakes from your Iowa days?
My main mementos are my memories. Having never really been away from home, my time at Iowa was a time of growth and introspection and discovering that I was strong and capable. Coming in as freshman, I was very introverted and really struggled with homesickness. My teammates were lifesavers, and I eventually settled in largely due to their unwavering support and encouragement.

One of my teammates called me ‘butterfly’ as I came out of my cocoon, spread my wings, and settled into life at Iowa. She gave me a small butterfly ornament during my freshman year, and though it may be in two pieces, I still have it to this day. It reminds me of a turning point in my life. Though leaving home to come to Iowa was probably the hardest thing I had ever done at that point in my life, it was also probably the best thing I did for myself.

Who do you share this honor with?
I share this honor with several people.  First and foremost, I share it with my parents. They were always my biggest supporters and stood by me through all of the ups and downs that come with sports. Unfortunately, my dad passed away a few years ago, but I know he would be proud. I would not be where I am without them.

I also share it with my husband, Rami, and my children: Olivia, Lilla, Omar, and Zayd. They don’t know much about my former life in gymnastics and as a student-athlete, but this experience has shed some light on that past for them. Sharing this with them gives them some more insight into me and what has shaped me. Their genuine happiness for me and pride in me when this honor was announced made my heart swell. They may not have known me then, but they are my everything now, so I share it with them.

Hall of Fame Spotlights

Kim Baker-El Abiad, Women’s Gymnastics (1993-96)
Three-time first-team All-Big Ten selection (1994, 1995, 1996). Big Ten Freshman of the Year (1993). Two-time NCAA Regional qualifier (1993, 1994). Big Ten Medal of Honor (1996). Recipient of the Robert F. Ray Faculty Representative Award (1996). WGCA Scholar All-American (1996). Three-time Academic All-Big Ten selection (1994-96). Named the Iowa Scholar Athlete of the Year (1996). Had two perfect 10’s during her Iowa career on vault. Tied for the school record on vault. Had a career-best 9.950 on floor and scored a 39.525 on all-around.