When still only in her second year out of school, Cade was first selected to represent Australia, for the 1987 World Rowing Championships in Copenhagen to stroke the lightweight four. That crew placed fourth. The following year at Milano 1988 Cade was in the lightweight coxless four that took the silver medal. She stroked the Australian lightweight pair at the World Student Games in 1989. At the 1991 World Rowing Championships in Vienna, Cade was in the three seat of the lightweight coxless four as well as racing in the bow seat of Australia's open women's eight.