Without a single drop of sweat, 5 ‘0 sophomore Eden Ranola brings 132.3 pounds over her head in a clean and snatch, effectively winning the Pacific Northwest Championship for her age, gender, and weight class for the second time. The crowd erupts into cheers. She smiles and waves her hands, showing off the new nail set she had just put on the day before.
Ranola is a sophomore at Liberty High School who does nail sets by day and Olympic weightlifting by night.
“My dad started taking me to Seattle Barbell Club in Bellevue about three years ago, because I wasn’t really doing any sports at the time,” Ranola said. “I’ve always loved it.”
Ranola travels for weightlifting about two times a year and has won the Pacific Northwest competition two times.
“The first time I won Pac NW was in 2022, when I got 121 pounds in a clean and snatch. I just won it again last month with 130 pounds in a clean and snatch,” Ranola said. “I also won the North American Open Series in California in 2023.”
After practicing weight lifting for two years, she decided to add a new skill to her repertoire: doing nail sets.
“I started doing nails in November 2023 because my cousin does them, and I was like, why not?” Ranola said. “I post my nail sets on social media, which brings in some business, but it’s mostly people at Liberty,” Ranola said.
And if you ever see Ranola in the hallway, chances are you’ll see a new set of freshly lacquered acrylics on her nails, topped with little charms on them.
Ranola didn’t start weightlifting and do nails by herself, though. She credits much of her success to her family, who helped her passions prosper.
“Before I did it as a sport, my mom and I just worked out in our garage, and my dad was the first one who brought me to Seattle Barbell Club. My cousin influenced me a lot to do nails because she gets good money, and she gave me tips,” Ranola said. “I also do nails out of my house, so I need space, and my family has given me that.”
Not only does Ranola show off a new nail set every week at school, but also to her competitors at meets. Pulling weights above your head with nails sounds tricky and dangerous, but Ranola thinks of it as a challenge.
“You probably shouldn’t wear nails, especially my long ones, when weightlifting, but I like it. They make my hands feel protected, even if they’re probably not,” Ranola said.
Doing nail sets and weightlifting aren’t only fun hobbies for Ranola, though. They’ve also taught her lessons that she applies to the rest of her lifestyle.
“Weightlifting teaches discipline and the importance of a routine. Doing nail sets helps my social skills and helps people to respect me,” Ranola said. “And both of them have taught me that it’s important to work for what I want because not everything is just going to be handed to you.”
