[5][6] She grew up in Charlotte, North Carolina, where she attended West Mecklenburg High School and was an All-American athlete in track and field.

As a child, Tapper dreamt of following in his footsteps, feeling drawn to the aggressive energy of the sport, but grew to realize it was not a viable option for a girl.

[8] Tapper began her rugby career at age 18, during her first year of college at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.

[14][15][2] Tapper was among 12 women rugby sevens players selected to represent Team USA at the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games.

[29] Tapper has been involved with a number of non-profit initiatives around growing participation rates in rugby, particularly in the southern United States.

[30] In 2020, Tapper appeared as a model on an episode of Project Runway, featuring athletes set to compete in the 2020 Summer Olympics and Paralympics.