She and her long-time rowing partner Marnie McBean were the first Canadians to be awarded three Olympic gold medals at the Summer Games.

[2] Her father, Duncan, worked as a mining engineer; her mother, Marilyn (Buchanan), was a registered dietitian and housewife.

[5] Heddle went on to study psychology at the University of British Columbia (UBC), obtaining a bachelor's degree in 1990.

[6] Heddle was promoted to the national team in 1987,[7] and won a gold medal in straight pairs at the Pan American Games that year.

[2][7][8] They replicated their performance at the 1992 Summer Olympics, winning gold medals in straight pairs and eights.

They improved on their result at the championships the following year, and also secured silver as part of the quad sculls team.

[8] Three years later, she was awarded the Order of British Columbia,[12] inducted into the Canadian Sports Hall of Fame,[2] and named B.C.