Background
Alderson was born and grew up in Chicago. Her father Edmund had been a collegiate swimmer at the University of Illinois, and she began swimming at the age of 5.
Alderson was born and grew up in Chicago. Her father Edmund had been a collegiate swimmer at the University of Illinois, and she began swimming at the age of 5.
She first trained under coach Bill Moyle at the Beverly Country Club, and then under coach Walter Schlueter of the Chicago Town Club where her elite swimming potential was recognized. Fellow Olympic swimmer Jackie LaVine, who also trained with the Chicago Town Club, served as her mentor. As a 17-year-old, Alderson represented the United States at the 1952 Summer Olympics in Helsinki, Finland.
According to the official event clock time of 1:07.1, Alderson finished in a third-place tie with Judit Temes of Hungary and Joan Harrison of South Africa, but the judges awarded her fifth place.
After the Olympics, Alderson attended the University of Illinois, where she was a member of Kappa Kappa Gamma sorority. She continued to swim competitively while attending college, set a world record in the 100-yard freestyle event in 1954, and was a member of Amateur Athletic Union (Amateur Athletic Union) national championship relay teams in 1952 and 1953.