Raised by Grandmother, Sha’Carri Richardson Reveals Deeper Meaning Behind Her Iconic Nails

Sha’Carri Richardson never just runs races—she owns them, and her nails are part of that signature flair. Whether it’s bedazzled crystals catching the stadium lights or bold colors matching her athletic kit, her nail game is as unpredictable and electrifying as her sprints. Take the Paris 2024 Olympics, for example: Sha’Carri showed up with nails blazing in red, white, and blue—a dazzling tribute to the American spirit. And during the U.S. Olympic Trials? Each nail told its own story, decked out with different colors, crystals, and styles that sparked a buzz far beyond the track. It’s no surprise that many track and field aficionados draw parallels between Sha’Carri and the legendary Florence Griffith-Joyner, whose style shook the sport decades ago. But Sha’Carri doesn’t see it as pure imitation.

“You never know what you’re going to get when it comes to me,” Sha’Carri said last year, hyping curiosity. For her, style is self-expression—a living, evolving reflection of her energy. And if you’ve ever wondered how she keeps that aesthetic so fresh, season after season, the answer is more team effort than magic.

In a recent interview with For The Win, while promoting her partnership with Turtles, Sha’Carri pulled the curtain back a bit. “Honestly, when it comes to my nails, I feel like it’s depending on like when you’re asking,” she said. “I definitely do trust my team when it comes to preparing my nails. They understand me. They understand my energy, and not just that. They understand the event itself. So, they design based off of what it is that I exude.” One of the key players behind those striking looks? 

Kinaya Haug, a talented nail technician based in Eugene, Oregon. She was the creative force behind Sha’Carri’s eye-catching nails at the Olympic trials—a collaboration that went beyond polish and gems, tapping into the essence of who Sha’Carri is and what she brings to the track. However, in her interaction, Sha’Carri explained the actual meaning of her nail art. 

Well, Sha’Carri Richardson’s nails may dazzle with rhinestones, bold colors, and flawless designs—but beneath all that shimmer lies something far more personal: a tribute to the women who raised her, loved her, and shaped her sense of beauty. In the same conversation, the Olympic champion peeled back the layers on what her nail art really means. “I’m saying the deeper message is, if anything, no matter what the design is, the relationships and my nails comes from the beautiful women within my family that have always shown me nail art from a young girl, like me being a little girl,” she said. “So, I would say the deeper message is a relationship to the women in my family, and also, I trust my team to create art every single time.” 

For Sha’Carri, each manicure is more than a look—it’s a legacy. The art on her fingertips isn’t just for show; it’s a living memory, a way of honoring the women who helped shape her identity. And who are these women? Last year, in an interview with Elle, she named them with pride: “My grandmother, my aunt, and my mother all influence the beauty I exude to the world on a day-to-day basis, especially in big moments,” she revealed. “They kept their nails well-manicured. Hair was also something that I saw a lot of attentiveness to.” 

It’s no coincidence that Sha’Carri shows up on the world stage styled with such intentionality. From her blazing speed to her bold presentation, she carries the strength, elegance, and care passed down through generations. A further explanation will help to get the meaning. 

Grandma and aunt have a deep influence on Sha’Carri Richardson 

Sha’Carri Richardson doesn’t just run with fire in her feet—she runs with her heart full of love, loyalty, and legacy. But behind the glitter, the bold nails, and the lightning-fast finishes is a story rooted in resilience and the unwavering strength of family—not the one she was born into, but the one that raised her.

From an early age, Sha’Carri faced rejection from her biological mother, and her relationship with her father was also nonexistent. But where one bond fractured, another bloomed. It was her grandmother, Betty Harp, and her aunt Shayaria Richardson—whom Sha’Carri calls her mother—who stepped up, wrapped her in love, and raised her into the powerhouse the world knows today.

In a 2024 Teen Vogue interview, Sha’Carri shared a powerful memory that sparked her Olympic-sized dream. “My grandmother made [my mother] a big plaque full of medals and I saw it one day and was like, ‘I want that. I want you to bring me one, Granny,’ “ she recalled. “And [my grandmother] was like, ‘Well you got to do something to get some medals!’ ”

Betty Harp, always the steady presence, guided her to Shay, who wasted no time. “I ran her little b***,” Shay joked in Prodigy, remembering how she pushed young Sha’Carri into her first real training sessions. When the then-9-year-old started complaining about fatigue, she didn’t coddle her, instead asking, “You want to be great, don’t you?” That question became a lifelong challenge. And Sha’Carri rose to it—joining school track teams, racking up medals, and building the explosive speed that would one day stun the world.

But the road wasn’t just built on sprints and medals. Some of her warmest childhood memories are quieter: cooking meals with Granny, watching TV together, building a bond so strong it carried her through every storm. “From Day 1 up until now, always being in my corner, no matter what I did, no matter if it was good, no matter if it was bad,” she told USA Today in 2021, her voice full of gratitude. That’s the foundation of Sha’Carri Richardson—not just talent, but a legacy of love, grit, and two remarkable women who believed in her before the world ever knew her name.