Wijsman was born in Leusden, near Utrecht, Netherlands, and became a member of a local speed skating club in Ankeveen during the 1988-89 season.

In 1994, she was placed 8th in the Dutch national junior A allround championships, thus earning a spot on the regional district team.

In December 1995, while on this district team, she took part in her first international race, in Hamar, where the skating components of the 1994 Winter Olympics had been held.

Wijsman's early success led her to be promoted onto the national team, which at the time was headed by Eddy Verheijen.

She qualified for World Cup meetings in South Korea and Japan, and became the first female skater to compete in international races on clap skates.

However, in that period she won another B-Group World Cup 500m race in Heerenveen, won another bronze medal at the Dutch National Sprint Championships, finished 11th in the World Sprint Championships, and qualified for the 2002 Winter Olympics, her second Olympics, which was held in Salt Lake City.

During the summer of 2002 she trained with Peter Mueller again, but when Van den Bosch became a fitness coach with the American national speed skating team, she moved with him to Salt Lake City to prepare for the 2004 season and the 2006 Winter Olympics.

In late December 2006, Marieke Wijsman ended her international career as a speed skater in order to devote herself to working as a police officer.