As a child, Wilkinson was a gymnast, but had to give up on the sport after a growth spurt during puberty made her too tall to continue. She would then take up diving, where in 1995, she joined the U.S. national team.

Six months prior to the 2000 Summer Olympics, Wilkinson would suffer a serious foot injury that kept her out of action for a couple of months. During this time, she used mental images to visualize her dives. Her foot was not fully recovered by the time she started diving again, but was able to qualify for the Olympics.

At the 2000 Summer Olympics, Wilkinson, who was still in pain from her foot injury, was in eighth place after the first of five dives in the platform diving finals. However, a series of spectacular dives, combined with disappointing dives by the favorites, earned her the first gold medal for a female American platform diver since 1964.

Wilkinson would fail in her attempt to repeat in the same event at the 2004 Summer Olympics, as she finished in fifth place.

Wilkinson is a 2001 graduate of the University of Texas, where majored in public relations.

She is also a committed Christian. She credits her gold medal to her faith in God. She also lists praying as one of her favourite activities.