She discovered her love of skiing during stays in Châtel, France, her parents' winter home.
After surviving meningitis at the age of nine, she competed in her first races,[3] supported by her ski instructor parents.
In February 2001, she took part in a Junior World Championships for the first time in Verbier, finishing 49th in the giant slalom as her best result.
Her first triumph came in April 2001, when she won the slalom at Aonach Mòr ahead of her sister Tamsen at the British Championships.
McGarry's greatest international successes came in the Australian New Zealand Cup, where she racked up four wins and nine other podium finishes between 2002 and 2007.