Ardeleanu learnt fencing at a local club under coach Alexandru Csipler. She transferred in 1964 along with Ecaterina Iencic and Ileana Gyulai to CSA Steaua București, which are related to the football team Steaua Bucharest, where she was trained by Andrei Vâlcea. Along with Olga Szabo, Maria Vicol, Ana Ene-Derșidan and Ileana Gyulai, she became team world champion at the 1969 World Fencing Championships in Havana.