In 1978 Macdonald was a successful schoolgirl runner, where she was Scottish/British School Girl Champion in the 100m. She moved up to be a successful junior runner winning the AAA indoor 60m championship, she then added the Junior indoor 400m a year later.
Her success continued when she won the AAA Junior Championships in the 100m and 400m in 1979, and 100m and 200m in 1980. Also in 1980 she was AAA indoor 200m champion, as well as U.K. Champion in the 400m.
Still at 16 years old Macdonald went with the British team to the 1980 Summer Olympics in Moscow, after setting a British Junior 400m record of 51.16 seconds, which still stands. In Moscow she qualified for the Olympic final, finishing 8th in 52.40 seconds. She was a member of the 4x400 metre relay team that won the Olympic bronze medal.
In 1981 she won the Scottish and the U.K. 100m and 200m Championships, then won a bronze medal at the European Junior Championships.
She represented Scotland at the 1982 Commonwealth Games in Brisbane and qualified for the 400 final where she was 8th, but won a bronze medal with the 4x400m relay team.
She went out in the heats of the Athens European Championships in 1982, but finished 5th in the 4x400 relay.
Coached until the age of 18 by Jimmy Brice, she was subsequently coached by John Anderson but never bettered her time of 51.16s at a 16-year-old.
In 1985 she won the Scottish 400m metres championship, and the AAA Indoor 400m title.
She was a member of Pitreavie Amateur Athletic Club, and still holds several club records.[1]
