Meet Lesley Paterson — Academy Award-nominated filmmaker, author, and triathlete

Lesley Paterson at the 2025 ‘Dressed to Kilt’ event in Manhattan. Photo Credit: Chia-Ta Tsai.

Lesley Paterson is a woman of many talents: Scottish triathlete, author, screenwriter and film producer. She chatted about her latest endeavors in entertainment and sports.

Cher once said: “Women are the real architects of society.” A gifted and versatile woman who embodies this quote is Lesley Paterson.

Daily motivations as a triathlete

Regarding her daily motivations as a triathlete, she shared, “I love nature so I adore being outside and being connected with the land.”

“Having grown up in Scotland, running over the hills, it is my happy creative space. What motivates me now is less performance and more experience,” she noted.

“Being in the community, traveling to new places, and enjoying the company. It is also my way into creativity… to come up with ideas for films and television,” she elaborated.

Future plans

On her future plans, she shared, “Building my production company! I have a big slate of projects and I am building out my deep and raising finance. It’s exciting times.”

‘All Quiet on the Western Front’ on Netflix

Paterson served as a co-writer on the Oscar-winning film “All Quiet on the Western Front.”

A German epic anti-war movie, All Quiet on the Western Front” tells the gripping story of Paul, a young German soldier on the Western Front of World War I.

Paul and his comrades experience first-hand how the initial euphoria of war turns into desperation and fear as they fight for their lives, and each other, in the trenches.

The film from director Edward Berger is based on the world renowned bestseller of the same name by Erich Maria Remarque.

“Honestly, I am so drawn to World War I as it is such an intersection of the new and old in warfare,” she noted.

“The betrayal of a youthful generation was like nothing we had ever seen before,” she underscored. “To tell it from the enemy’s perspective was so fascinating and important in terms of how it led to World War II.”

Paterson on the awards and recognition for ‘All Quiet on the Western Front’

“All Quiet on the Western Front” won four Academy Awards including the coveted “Best International Feature Film,” and it won Paterson a BAFTA Award for “Best Adapted Screenplay.”

“That was unbelievable,” she exclaimed. “It was unimaginable, exciting, and life-changing. All of it!”

Paterson on being a part of the 2025 ‘Dressed to Kilt’ event

On Saturday, April 5th, Paterson participated in the 2025 “Dressed to Kilt” fashion show, which was held at the Church of the Heavenly Rest.

“That was so much fun,” she admitted. “It felt like coming home, you know? I love to meet people, and to give back to a cool cause!”

Career-defining moments

On her career-defining moments, she revealed, “Winning my first world title. I punctured as soon as I got on the bike and I almost gave up but I decided to just give it 100 percent effort, and attitude, and see where it took me.”

“Well, it took me to my first world title,” she exclaimed.

Advice for young and aspiring triathletes and filmmakers

For young and emerging triathletes and filmmakers, she said, “See the setbacks as growth opportunities.”

“Re-frame and see it as exactly as it was supposed to be to get you to the next step,” she explained.

Paterson on Success

Paterson equates the word success with “experience.”

“Success means to have the best experience,” she said. “I’ve always seen getting to the top as a cargo net, not a ladder. There are many ways to get there in other words. There are many ways that have incredible experiences in the journey.”

American track and field running legend Steve Prefontaine once said: “To give anything less than your best, is to sacrifice the gift.” This quote applies to Lesley Paterson.

To learn more about Lesley Paterson, follow her on Instagram and check out her Linktree page.