Balance Awareness Week 2025: A Global Celebration of Connection and Impact
Balance Awareness Week (BAW) 2025 was a tremendous success! From September 14–20, people around the world came together to raise awareness for vestibular disorders — educating their communities, supporting patients, and celebrating progress.
This year’s event showed the power of collective action: hundreds of individuals, clinics, and organizations joined forces to make vestibular visible. Every photo shared, every event hosted, and every dollar raised added up to a meaningful global impact.
While we can’t feature every incredible contribution, here are just a few of the highlights from this unforgettable week.
Fiona Flamingo Photo Contest Winners
One of the most beloved Balance Awareness Week traditions is the Fiona Flamingo Photo Contest — a fun and creative way for people to show their support while “making vestibular visible.” Participants around the world struck their best one-legged flamingo pose, joined by friends, family, coworkers, and even pets, helping raise awareness and spark conversations about balance disorders.
This year’s contest brought in an incredible collection of photos — from clinic teams to individuals balancing in beautiful outdoor settings. Every photo shared helped spread the message that while vestibular disorders can knock you off balance, there’s strength in standing tall together.
Congratulations to this year’s winners
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Cheryl Phillips and support dog, Cassidy – for their heartwarming and spirited photo showing how our four-legged friends can be part of the journey.
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KMS Balance & Dizziness Rehabilitation – for their team effort in bringing staff and patients together to raise awareness in their community.
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Germantown Balance and Vestibular Therapy – for their creative photo booth that perfectly captured the spirit of Balance Awareness Week.
Highlights From Balance Awareness Week 2025
Rebecca Yeh stood out as the top fundraiser during Balance Awareness Week 2025! By sharing her story and inspiring others to give, she raised an incredible $4,230 to improve vestibular healthcare and help her fellow vestibular patients!
Christian Chabbert, a French neurophysiologist and VeDA’s BAW Ambassador, created a video to share why he is raising awareness about vestibular disorders during Balance Awareness Week, and facilitated participation from clinicians and researchers all over the world.
FYZICAL Therapy & Balance Centers organized a company-wide effort to host educational events in clinics across the U.S.
The Tunisian Vertigo Medical Society held an amazing Balance Marathon to raise awareness, with participants including Olympic Champion, Mohamed Gammoudi!
The Romanian Society of Vertigo (SVTH), led by Ioana Vodă and Christian Chabbert, hosted a Vestibular Congress featuring experts from Romania, France, Italy, Switzerland, India, Czech Republic, Serbia, Algeria, and Iraq — an inspiring global exchange of knowledge and innovation.
Noor Haj-Tamim and her company Avionova partnered with AerOhio Skydiving Center to host Fall for Focus, a thrilling skydiving fundraiser with 68 tandem jumps and 220 attendees, raising nearly $1,000 for VeDA’s mission.
“The energy on the ground and in the air was incredible,” said the Avionova team. “We’re already excited to do it again next year!”
The Academy of Neurologic Physical Therapy (ANPT) launched the Dizzy Bat Challenge, encouraging members to simulate vestibular symptoms, post videos, and tag friends to spread awareness. See Joan Sorg of Education Resources, Inc. above, stepping up to the challenge!
Dr. Diego Kaski (University College London) helped secure funding for a patient and public initiative using art and dance to raise awareness of balance disorders, and also presented an educational webinar.
“Raising awareness is essential to improving understanding, reducing stigma, and driving better access to timely diagnosis and effective treatments,” said Dr. Kaski. “By supporting this initiative, I hope to foster a more informed and supportive community.”
In Belgium, Lien Van Laer, PT (University of Antwerp Campus Drie Eiken) worked with two organizations, Vestibulaire Vereniging and Vertigo Vlaanderen, joining forces to organize a multidisciplinary opening event for Balance Awareness Week. Together, these initiatives brought professionals from across the field of vestibular rehabilitation to share knowledge and raise awareness of balance disorders.
Members of VeDA’s Medically Retired Support Group met in Chicago, IL for a powerful in-person gathering. Together they toured the city — from the Architecture Center’s boat tour to Wrigley Field and the Art Institute — celebrating how far they’ve come thanks to community, therapy, and perseverance.
Dr. Angela Reis Rego, MD, ENT (Portuguese ENT Society) shared insights about vestibular disorders during an Italian medical congress.
Dr. Eman Boshwisha, AuD (Al-Marj Teaching Hospital, Libya) presented an informational speech to raise awareness.
Prof. Holger Rambold (Innklinikum Altötting und Mühldorf, Germany) shared his work to improving vestibular care in East Bavaria through new community and outpatient initiatives.
Partners
Additionally, many partners used their social media, websites, and blogs to share important information about vestibular health, like MED-EL did in this blog post.
Thank you to GDR Vertige, Avionova, The American Balance Society, The Association of Migraine Disorders, the American Speech-Language Hearing Association, Cures Within Reach, the Tunisian Vertigo Medical Society, Hodepine Norge Vestibulær Migrene, University Hospital Motol, Bern University Hospital, Landsforeningen for vestibulære sykdommer, Vertigenius, The Vertigo, Tinnitus, and Hypoacusis Association of Romania, the American Academy of Audiology, Hoormij NVVS, Associazione Italiana Otorinolaringoiatri Liberi Professionisti, Asociacion Sindrome de Meniere Espana, Egyptian Audiovisual Medicine Association, The Israeli Center for Dizziness and Balance Disorders, Munich Center for Neurosciences, Kantonsspital Baden, University of Antwerp, Otolith, Vestibular First, Urban Poling, BalanceBelt, UprightVR, Gyrostim, MED-EL, NORD Clinics Bucharest, Stefari Med Clinic Gorj, and Neuro VRT Antibes for partnering with VeDA to promote Balance Awareness Week globally.
