She won three medals in swimming events at the 1968 Summer Paralympics, held in Tel Aviv.

[5] McPherson competed in the first Pan American Wheelchair Games, held in Winnipeg in 1967, and won seven gold medals in swimming events.

[8] In 1969, she swam on a relay team with Gwen John, Hilda Binns, and Elaine Ell,[9] and won seven medals at the Pan-American Wheelchair Games in Buenos Aires.

[5][10] In 1971 she competed in the Western Washington Wheelchair Games in Seattle, setting a record in the backstroke event.

[14] She was active in the British Columbia Wheelchair Sports Association in its early years.