She competed at the 1956 Summer Olympics placing sixth in her heat of the 100 m backstroke.

In January 1957, she broke the 200 m (220 yd) backstroke world record,[1] and in March 1958, she broke the 100 m (110 yd) backstroke record, while still a student at St Cuthbert's College, Auckland.

[2] At the 1958 British Empire and Commonwealth Games she won the bronze medal in the 110 yd backstroke.

[3] In 1995 Gould was inducted into the New Zealand Sports Hall of Fame.

Media related to Philippa Gould at Wikimedia Commons