Born in Brockville, Ontario, McCabe rowed for the University of Washington from 2009 to 2013 (after taking a year off for the Olympics), helping the Huskies win three national championships.

This made McCabe the first Canadian to ever win a CRASH-B competition in the Men's Open category.

McCabe's international racing career started at the World Rowing Junior Championships.

He won a silver medal at the 2012 Summer Olympics in the men's eight with Andrew Byrnes, Gabriel Bergen, Jeremiah Brown, Will Crothers, Douglas Csima, Robert Gibson, Malcolm Howard and Brian Price.

[3][4] McCabe competed at the 2020 Summer Olympics in the pair with Kai Langerfeld where they placed 4th.