Tyler Smith, the Bermuda triathlete, has given an insight into his typical week at the University of Leeds.

The 19-year-old, who starts his second year at the university next month, said he trains from 28 to 32 hours a week.

Smith represented Bermuda at the Commonwealth Games on the Gold Coast, Australia, in April and the Central American and Caribbean Games in Barranquilla, Colombia, earlier this month.

He placed 21st on the Gold Coast and sixth in Barranquilla.

“During the weekdays we swim every morning and then have our hard track and cycling sessions in the afternoon,” Smith told Bermuda Triathlon News.

“On Wednesday afternoons most people are free from university so there’s always a good group to go for a long ride with.

“The weekends are always great because you can get in some big volume without having to shuffle around the schedule for lectures and labs.

“Luckily there are some good run routes in the city that I can go on in between lectures, and we have a gym on campus that’s easy to access as well.”

Smith said he has had no issues balancing his academics with his training and competing.

His next race will be in the ETU Sprint European Cup in Szekesfehervar, Hungary, on August 25 before the World University Championships in Kalmar, Sweden, on September 1.

“It’s been pretty easy to balance university and training,” he said. “Taking sports science I enjoy the lectures, and sometimes they help me take my mind off the next hard training session.

“Most of my social group and friends are the people I train with, so I never feel like I’m missing much of a social life even if I’m in bed by 9pm on a Friday night.

“The most important thing with training is to get enough rest and recovery so you can train longer and harder, so it’s not really too eventful of a life otherwise.

“I really enjoy what I’m able to do, and I think Leeds is a great place to be able to balance student-athlete commitments.”