 She competed for the United States in the 1952 Summer Olympics held in Helsinki, Finland where she won the gold medal in the 4 x 100 meter relay with her teammates Barbara Jones, Janet Moreau and Catherine Hardy.Four years later she went to the Melbourne 1956 Games as the sole returnee from the 1952 Games relay team, and teamed up with Margaret Matthews, Wilma Rudolph and Isabelle Daniels but failed to retain the title, only managing to come away with the bronze medal.In 1955, she won the USA Outdoor Track and Field Championships in the 100-yard dash, in 10.8, record time.