WEST POINT, Ala. – West Point sophomore/upcoming junior cheerleader Emma Thrasher thanks God for the many blessings that He has brought into her life, and she shared a little bit about getting saved and baptized, plus how much that made a difference in not only her life but so many others as well.
“Having a relationship with God means more to me than anything. It is incredibly important to me that I continue to grow in my faith, and grow closer to Him. He has changed my life in more ways than I can count. Since the day I got saved, I’ve felt a peace I had never previously felt, and now, I always know that I don’t have to worry about my future, because no matter what I go through, it is in God’s hands,” Thrasher said. “I was saved on Wednesday, November 5th, 2025, and I got baptized on Sunday, December 7th, 2025. Getting baptized and making my decision to follow the Lord changed my life for the better. It was such a relief that I could finally know in my hear that I was saved and making the right decision, but also knowing that there were so many other people around me who knew and were impacted is incredible. My salvation and baptism sparked many conversations, and it was a phenomenal opportunity to share more about my faith, and share the gospel with others who might not have known about the Lord.”
Emma shared her testimony on the morning of April 9th of this year, and she had a lot of help from so many people in helping her with everything.
“Having the opportunity to share my testimony with my school meant so much to me. Knowing that I was able to share how God has helped me overcome my struggles, and also knowing that other people there might be able to benefit from my truth was very special to me. I had a lot of help from friends and mentors, including Brittany Peak, Jen Thompson, Patton Fell, Audrey Bagwell, Katie Beth Yovino, as well as others in my community. Having my community’s support means the world to me. They have helped me grow as a Christian, overcome my fears, loved me through everything, and have given me the confidence to be proud of my story and who I am.” Thrasher said.
She shared her favorite Bible verses and a few of her favorite Christian songs, and she wants to play a huge role in helping people of all ages find Jesus Christ.
“One of my favorite Bible verses is Romans 8:18, and my favorite songs are Goodness of God by CeCe Winans, and The Story I’ll Tell by Naomi Raine. These songs mean so much to me, because they are a great representation of the way God has been there in every step of my story, no matter the circumstance,” she said. “It’s so important to help people of all ages find God. No matter how old or young we are, we are still all sinners, and we all need salvation and the love of God. I was 15 when I got saved, but I think it’s important to have a true relationship with God whether you are 9 or 90. Getting saved is the best decision I’ve ever made, and I want everyone to get to experience it.”
Emma wants to be a role model for so many kids in and outside of school and sports, and she has been to a couple of different events outside of school, including going to Winter Jam earlier this year, plus she has helped out with so many different programs at school as well.
“It’s so important to me that I’m a role model to younger kids. As an older sibling and upcoming upperclassman, I spend a lot of time around people younger than me, so making sure that I put out a good image for them matters. I want younger kids to know that they can always get through whatever they might be struggling with, and I want to be someone they can look up to and trust,” she said. “One of my favorite church activities is spending time with my small group or the night we went to Winter Jam and worshipped in Birmingham. My favorite activities through my school have been volunteering at the CDC, helping with the Night to Shine program, or working with our FCA group. Knowing I am impacting the people around me through my activities is great and brings me so much joy. I love getting to encourage and inspire others through what I went through. It makes everything I’ve dealt with worth it. Volunteering is one of my favorite things to do, because I get a chance to meet other people and help them in various ways.”
Emma added, “Winter Jam was an experience I’ll never forget. The live worship with artists and my friends was unreal. I think I speak for most of us when I say I could feel the Holy Spirit in that building. We got to hear an incredible message and spend multiple hours with uninterrupted worshipping, and I can’t wait to go back next year and do it all again.”
She gave some advice to those people that are either struggling or new when it comes to having that kind of relationship with God, and when it comes to cheerleading, faith is extremely important for Emma and the rest of the cheer team.
“My advice to them would be to find a community. I was extremely lost and confused right before I got saved, but when I went to my church and found people with the same goals as me, I started finding people who could answer my questions and loved me through every step. I would encourage them to stay confident and trust that God is always working, even if it doesn’t feel that way yet. If they don’t know where to start, Temple Baptist Church is amazing and has been such a blessing in my life. Once you find a community and mentors who care about you, getting stronger in your faith feels much more doable,” she said. “Faith is a huge part of my cheer team. At each practice, game, and competition, we pray together, because we aren’t there for us. Truly, we’re there to glorify God, and He has given us the strength to do everything we do daily. Keeping my faith strong helps me find the confidence to cheer alongside my teammates. In sports, I’ve always struggled with anxiety, but my faith brings me peace and helps me a lot.”
The whole West Point community was saddened to hear about losing Brayden Hand last year, and the impact he left on so many people, including Emma, will never be forgotten.
“Losing Brayden was extremely difficult for me. Last year, I was already struggling with anxiety and depression, then losing my best friend brought me to a new level of low. I spent the next few months unsure if I would be able to continue cheering after losing him, because he was one of my best friends. We eventually all went back to practicing, and it is my daily goal to not only do this for God, but do this for Brayden, because I know he would be right by our sides if he could be. I know he is watching and cheering us on each day. I definitely still have days where missing him feels extremely heavy, and cheering feels impossible, but I try to push through and continue on for him.” she said.
She has used her platform in cheerleading to help so many younger people find or get closer to Jesus Christ.
“Cheerleading has been like its own mission field. Not only do I see my teammates, but when we go to games or competitions, we encounter thousands of people, so it is definitely a great platform to share the love of God. Cheerleaders do this thing where we decorate clothespins, then hand them out to other teams, and one of my favorite things to do is put Bible verses on the clips when I hand them out. It has been a great way to spark conversation but also give something they can reference when they get home. We don’t get to speak with everyone we pin, but my hope is that if someone hasn’t read the Bible, they might use that pin, and look up what it means. I also love getting to talk about the Gospel with my team and listening to worship music and singing with them.” she said.
Emma has taken away so much during her walk with God, and her mental health wasn’t the best when she was younger, but God has been with her every step of the way and continues to be to this day.
“I’m learning daily, but what I’ve learned the most is to be patient and trust His timing. As a student-athlete who has struggled with mental health, it is extremely easy to get down and worried, or feel like things will never get better. What I am constantly learning, though, is that God’s timing is absolutely perfect, and even if there is current suffering, it is always for a good reason. God has never once failed me, and He continues to prove that everything is under control. I just need to trust the process. Every day is a work in progress, but I’m working on bettering my patience,” she said. “At the end of middle school, and beginning of high school, I began to struggle with my mental health. Things like anxiety and depression began to hit me hard, but I was too scared to talk about it, because I didn’t want to bother people, and I was afraid of being judged. It made school, sports, and daily life more difficult than it ever had been.”
She added, “I spent years feeling confused, lost, and unsure of my purpose. I was at my lowest when I lost Brayden. Finding God has helped me tremendously. Since being saved, I have finally found my purpose. I now know that even if I don’t have other people, I always have Him. I know that He is someone that is always constant in my life and that His plan is perfect. I absolutely still have times where I struggle, but it is different than it used to be, because I now know that there is purpose in my pain. I now spend my days praying for better ones instead of feeling like it will never get better. Having the Lord in my life has absolutely been my biggest blessing and has most definitely saved me. I know that my mental health might never be perfect, but I also know that I serve a perfect God who has all of the answers.”
