[5] At the 2003 World Rowing U23 Regatta in Belgrade, Serbia, she came fourth with the U23 women's four with fellow members Bess Halley, Darnelle Timbs and Andrea Rix-Trott.

[9][10] In World Rowing Cup regattas in 2010, she competed in women's quadruple sculls with Emma Feathery, Paula Twining, and Louise Trappitt, and they came sixth in Munich, Germany, and in Lucerne, Switzerland.

[13] At the 2011 World Rowing Championships in Bled, Slovenia, she teamed up with Anna Reymer in the women's double sculls and won bronze.

[17] At the New Zealand national championships at Lake Karapiro on 16 February 2016, Paterson competed with Rebecca Scown in the women's coxless pair, and they were beaten by Emma Dyke and Grace Prendergast for second place.

[18] When the Olympic rowing team was announced on 4 March 2016, Scown and Genevieve Behrent were chosen instead of Paterson;[19] they would win bronze in their event.