Written by: Ashley Westbrook, Director of Public Relations for Emmanuel College
Dikerrio Ramsey was told he shouldn’t be walking…let alone running.
As a child, Dikerrio enjoyed racing at recess and quickly realized that he was faster than many of his classmates. But, in seventh grade, the first year that he could compete in Track & Field events, Dikerrio began experiencing pain in his lower back. His mother took him to the doctor where he was diagnosed with a small case of scoliosis.
Dikerrio excelled on the track throughout high school, however the pain only worsened causing Dikerrio to make a second trip to a doctor in South Carolina.
“You’re not supposed to be walking,” Dikerrio recalls the doctor explaining. “If the curve of your back is more than 54 degrees, you shouldn’t be walking let alone running.”
The curve in Dikerrio’s back at the center of his spine was 74 degrees.
“It blew my mind,” Dikerrio said. “I knew it had to be God, because I had been qualifying for the State Championship since my freshman year of high school.”
Dikerrio was given the option to have surgery to correct the problem, but with the State Championship around the corner he opted out because he had qualified for four events and did not want to let his teammates down.
The doctor explained that if Dikerrio waited until after he turned 30 to have the surgery, he could die from it but if he didn’t get the surgery at all there’s a chance his spine could continue to grow and puncture one of his organs.
With a bright future ahead of him on the track, Dikerrio decided to wait to undergo surgery until his track career was finished.
Dikerrio received scholarship offers from a few colleges in Georgia, but it was Emmanuel that stood out.
“I had other offers but never felt like I was a part of the school,” Dikerrio said. “When I went on campus visits I felt like I was just a number, but at Emmanuel I felt welcomed.”
A senior Digital Media Production major, Dikerrio enjoys editing and hopes to one day work for Viacom or Cartoon Network.
On the Track & Field team, Dikerrio has found a support system that is with him through the good and bad times.
“There are a lot of times when the back pain is excruciating where I don’t feel like walking,” he said.
“My team supports me -- I really appreciate them and all that they do for me. They’ve become a family to me.”
Dikerrio runs both Indoor and Outdoor Track & Field competing in the 60 meters, 200-meter, 4x100 meter relay, 4x400 meter relay and the triple jump.
Since his arrival at EC, Dikerrio has been named an All-American four times and qualified for the National Championship in both his junior and senior year.
The accolades however are not what he focuses on.
“My goal is always to beat my PR,” Dikerrio said. “Sometimes you get into the mindset that you’re racing other people, but you’ve got to forget that. You’re racing against your time, you want to beat yourself. Every day you want to wake up and feel better than you did the day before. That’s the main goal.”
Qualifying for the National Championship in both the 60 and 200-meter races, Dikerrio kept that focus, vowing to forget about the other racers and not run for himself but his teammates and his family.
“I told my teammates I’m not running for myself I’m running for you all,” he said. “I give all of the glory to God because without him I wouldn’t be here.”
After losing the 60-meter race by mere inches, Dikerrio prepared for his final chance at an Indoor National Title in the 200.
“As soon as the gun blew, I took off and was right in the mix with everyone for the first 150 meters,” he remembers. “I tripped coming around the curve and remember thinking to myself that I couldn’t get beat again, I had to push myself.”
As soon as he crossed the finish line, he felt a sense of relief knowing that all of the hard work he had put in and the pain he had gone through was worth it.
“I’m still trying to gather my thoughts and understand that I won a national title,” Dikerrio said. “It really is hard to believe.”
Outside of track, Dikerrio stays involved on campus as a member of the SAC Leadership team and as a Resident Assistant at Wellons Hall.
With the odds stacked up against him, Dikerrio has turned failures into opportunities and encourages others to do the same.
“A lot of times people fail and don’t know how to cope with it,” he said. “But I’ve learned through experience that you only fail when you decide to give up. If you fail and keep going, keep taking long strides or baby steps, as long as you’re moving forward you’re improving.”
Dikerrio was told he shouldn’t be walking let alone running track. Instead of letting scoliosis limit him, he has embraced the challenge and remained focused on his dream, one step at a time.
[Editor's Comment: What an inspiring story of a young man who refused to give up. May God continue to show Dikerrio favor and give him success. Our God can heal every physical problem we might have. Jesus received stripes in his back for our healing.
The power of the Lord is present to heal Dikerrio Ramsey. It my prayer that he will be given glowing health from heaven.]
Dikerrio Ramsey was told he shouldn’t be walking…let alone running.
As a child, Dikerrio enjoyed racing at recess and quickly realized that he was faster than many of his classmates. But, in seventh grade, the first year that he could compete in Track & Field events, Dikerrio began experiencing pain in his lower back. His mother took him to the doctor where he was diagnosed with a small case of scoliosis.
Dikerrio excelled on the track throughout high school, however the pain only worsened causing Dikerrio to make a second trip to a doctor in South Carolina.
“You’re not supposed to be walking,” Dikerrio recalls the doctor explaining. “If the curve of your back is more than 54 degrees, you shouldn’t be walking let alone running.”
The curve in Dikerrio’s back at the center of his spine was 74 degrees.
“It blew my mind,” Dikerrio said. “I knew it had to be God, because I had been qualifying for the State Championship since my freshman year of high school.”
Dikerrio was given the option to have surgery to correct the problem, but with the State Championship around the corner he opted out because he had qualified for four events and did not want to let his teammates down.
The doctor explained that if Dikerrio waited until after he turned 30 to have the surgery, he could die from it but if he didn’t get the surgery at all there’s a chance his spine could continue to grow and puncture one of his organs.
With a bright future ahead of him on the track, Dikerrio decided to wait to undergo surgery until his track career was finished.
Dikerrio received scholarship offers from a few colleges in Georgia, but it was Emmanuel that stood out.
“I had other offers but never felt like I was a part of the school,” Dikerrio said. “When I went on campus visits I felt like I was just a number, but at Emmanuel I felt welcomed.”
A senior Digital Media Production major, Dikerrio enjoys editing and hopes to one day work for Viacom or Cartoon Network.
On the Track & Field team, Dikerrio has found a support system that is with him through the good and bad times.
“There are a lot of times when the back pain is excruciating where I don’t feel like walking,” he said.
“My team supports me -- I really appreciate them and all that they do for me. They’ve become a family to me.”
Dikerrio runs both Indoor and Outdoor Track & Field competing in the 60 meters, 200-meter, 4x100 meter relay, 4x400 meter relay and the triple jump.
Since his arrival at EC, Dikerrio has been named an All-American four times and qualified for the National Championship in both his junior and senior year.
The accolades however are not what he focuses on.
“My goal is always to beat my PR,” Dikerrio said. “Sometimes you get into the mindset that you’re racing other people, but you’ve got to forget that. You’re racing against your time, you want to beat yourself. Every day you want to wake up and feel better than you did the day before. That’s the main goal.”
Qualifying for the National Championship in both the 60 and 200-meter races, Dikerrio kept that focus, vowing to forget about the other racers and not run for himself but his teammates and his family.
“I told my teammates I’m not running for myself I’m running for you all,” he said. “I give all of the glory to God because without him I wouldn’t be here.”
After losing the 60-meter race by mere inches, Dikerrio prepared for his final chance at an Indoor National Title in the 200.
“As soon as the gun blew, I took off and was right in the mix with everyone for the first 150 meters,” he remembers. “I tripped coming around the curve and remember thinking to myself that I couldn’t get beat again, I had to push myself.”
As soon as he crossed the finish line, he felt a sense of relief knowing that all of the hard work he had put in and the pain he had gone through was worth it.
“I’m still trying to gather my thoughts and understand that I won a national title,” Dikerrio said. “It really is hard to believe.”
Outside of track, Dikerrio stays involved on campus as a member of the SAC Leadership team and as a Resident Assistant at Wellons Hall.
With the odds stacked up against him, Dikerrio has turned failures into opportunities and encourages others to do the same.
“A lot of times people fail and don’t know how to cope with it,” he said. “But I’ve learned through experience that you only fail when you decide to give up. If you fail and keep going, keep taking long strides or baby steps, as long as you’re moving forward you’re improving.”
Dikerrio was told he shouldn’t be walking let alone running track. Instead of letting scoliosis limit him, he has embraced the challenge and remained focused on his dream, one step at a time.
[Editor's Comment: What an inspiring story of a young man who refused to give up. May God continue to show Dikerrio favor and give him success. Our God can heal every physical problem we might have. Jesus received stripes in his back for our healing.
The power of the Lord is present to heal Dikerrio Ramsey. It my prayer that he will be given glowing health from heaven.]