Tew took up rowing in 2008 while at Queen Margaret College.[5] She attended her first Maadi Cup in 2009 at Lake Karapiro but did not get into any of the A-finals.[7] At the 2010 Maadi Cup at Lake Ruataniwha, she won a bronze medal in the girls U16 double sculls.[8] At the 2011 Maadi Cup at Lake Karapiro, she reached B-finals in all three of her boat classes.[9]
Tew had her first international appearance at the 2012 World Rowing Junior Championships in Plovdiv, Bulgaria. With the junior quad sculls (with Nathalie Hill, Zoe McBride, and Hannah Osborne), she won bronze at the event.[10] In 2014, she became national champion with the women's premier four, with Rebecca Scown, Linda Matthews, and Holly Greenslade in the team.[11] At the 2015 national championships, she won silver with the women's premier four, this time teamed with Kerri Gowler, Rebecca Scown, and Elizabeth Ross.[12]
Tew won a silver medal at the 2015 World Rowing Championships with the women's eight, qualifying the boat for the 2016 Olympics.[13] At the 2016 national championships, she won gold in the women's premier four with Kerri Gowler, Fiona Paterson, and Holly Greenslade. She won bronze in the women's premier coxless pair oars and the women's premier eight.[14]
