When she was 17 years old, Whittall won a silver medal in the 1954 British Empire and Commonwealth Games as a member of the Canadian 4×110 yd freestyle relay team.

While studying pharmacy at Purdue University, Whittall won two gold medals at the 1955 Pan American Games in Mexico City.

For those achievements, she was awarded the Lou Marsh Trophy as Canada's top athlete for 1955 and was inducted into the Canadian Olympic Hall of Fame.

She finished seventh in the 100-metre butterfly at the 1956 Summer Olympics[1] and retired from competition the following year.

Whittall died on May 1, 2015, at the age of 78, and was posthumously inducted into the Canadian Olympic Hall of Fame on June 17, 2015.