[3] McQuaid also races in half-iron and Ironman 70.3 triathlon events, with half a dozen wins at this distance.

She competed in swimming while in high school and ran while attending the University of Victoria, earning her degree in biochemistry and chemistry.

[5][6] She raced her first World Cup race in 1998,[7] but after not making the Canadian mountain bike team for the 2000 Olympics, and growing tired of the repetitiveness of the single sport, McQuaid began competing in XTERRA triathlon.

[8] She found that these events suited her perfectly because of her athletic background and strengths.

[7] The success McQuaid has found in XTERRA and cross triathlon has translated into more than 40 wins since 2001.