Cika wannan magana: A farkon shekarun 1970, Walker ta halarci Jami'ar Oregon inda ta karɓi koyarwa daga almara Steve Prefontaine. Bayan mutuwar Prefontaine, ta zauna a gidansa tare da budurwarsa da 'yar'uwarsa. Walker ta wakilci Amurka a gasar tsere ta kasa da kasa ta 1972, inda ta sanya 9th lashe azurfa tare da tawagar Amurka, da kuma
1973 IAAF World Cross Country Championships, wanda ya lashe tagulla na tawagar tare da mutum na 30th, kuma ya kasance All-American a cikin ƙasa a 1973. Daga 1972 zuwa 1978, ta lashe gasar ruwa ta mata ta Oregon Road Runners Club, wasan biathlon wanda ya kunshi gudu da iyo, sau shida a jere. A shekara ta 1981, Walker ta koma kwaleji a Jami'ar Jihar Oregon inda Joe Fulton ya horar da ita a takaice. A wajen ta kafa tarihin makaranta a tseren mil 5,000 da kuma mil 10,000. Walker kuma ya kasance zakaran wasan triathlon na jihar Oregon a 1984, 1986, da 1987. Raunin da ya faru da kuma yanayin horo na horo na kasa ya hana ta daga gudanar da wani marathon. Don nasarorin da ta samu, an shigar da Walker a cikin Portland Interscholastic League's Hall of Fame a shekara ta 2005.