She won state championship in 2005 & 2007, and was a captain and multi-year letterwinner in cross country and outdoor track & field.

[11] The 2014 season yielded a number of podium results at World Cup level including her sole career disqualification due to an irregular transition at T2 in Auckland.

She won both the 2018 and 2019 Super League Triathlon Championship Series, and finished third, behind Georgia Taylor-Brown and Jess Learmonth of the United Kingdom, in 2021.

[4][5] Zaferes year-over-year results in the World Triathlon Series include finishing 42nd in her debut year of 2013,[15] 16th in 2014,[16] 5th in 2015,[17] 4th in 2016,[18] 3rd in 2017,[19] 2nd in 2018[20] and taking the overall title in 2019.

[12] In 2015, Zaferes' had a break-out year, taking silver in five World Triathlon Series races (Abu Dhabi,[13] Auckland,[21] Cape Town,[22] London,[23] Stockholm[24]) plus bronze in Gold Coast.

[19] Of the eight World Triathlon Series races in 2018, Zaferes finished on the podium in six of them, taking two silvers (Yokohama[33] and Montreal[34]), and four bronze (Bermuda,[35] Leeds,[36] Hamburg[37] and the grand final in Gold Coast[38]).

Zaferes crashed hard within the tunnel section (believed to be caused by a combination of fuel / oil on the roadway and (rare) rainfall immediately prior to / during the race) and was unable to continue, registering a DNF.

At the grand final in Gold Coast, Zaferes came into the race needing to finish ahead of her rival Vicky Holland to take the series and the title of World Triathlon Champion.

On the run leg, Zaferes, Holland and the Australian athlete Ashleigh Gentle were together by the second lap of four at the head of the race.

[20] Of the eight World Triathlon Series races in 2019, Zaferes finished in first place in five of them, taking the wins in Abu Dhabi,[41] Bermuda,[42] Yokohama,[43] Montreal[44] and the Grand Final in Lausanne.

"[14] Zaferes didn't automatically qualify for the Olympics due to a cycling event crash,[47] but was picked for the final team spot by a selection committee based on her previous results.