Emma grew up on the Northern Beaches and competed in surf lifesaving events. In 2004, at the age of 18, she was recognised through a talent identification program run by the Australian Sports Commission aimed at boosting Australia’s performance in lower profile sports. 

Emma went on to represent Australia in skeleton racing at the International Bobsleigh & Skeleton Federation (IBSF) World Cup events between 2006 and 2012. Her best World Cup result came at the Innsbruck 2011 IBSF competition where she won silver.

Emma was selected to represent Australia at the Vancouver 2010 Olympic Winter Games, where she placed 10^th in the finals.