From UAE Heat to North Carolina Cold: Leyla Porteous Chases Triathlon Glory
Late-blooming triathlete Leyla Porteous balances family life and a passion for racing as she pursues a 70.3 World Championship slot and an Ironman debut in 2015.

Leyla Porteous is a tough as nails Australian who now lives in the USA after spending several years in the UAE. A late bloomer in the triathlon, she seems to have found her niche after jumping on the podium in her age group late in 2014 at Ironman 70.3 Miami. Now with her sights set on a World Championship berth, and an Ironman debut, we recently caught up with the likeable athlete.
Leyla, tell us about yourself.
I’m 38 years old, a wife and a mum of a 5 year old. I was born and grew up in Queensland, but lived for 13 years in the United Arab Emirates, before relocating with my husband to North Carolina last year.
I started competing in triathlon in February 2012, whilst living n Abu Dhabi. Since then I have competed about 13 triathlon events, three of them being 70.3 distances. I will be attempting my first full Ironman Distance race this year in Houston, Texas.
Describe to us how you became involved in triathlon?
I have always participated in running events, but in 2012 I decided to participate in a few swim events as well. I remember people saying to me, “all you need is a bike and you’d be ready for a triathlon”. I guess it was always in the back of my mind that I wanted to give triathlon a try. So in January 2013 I decided to sign up for the TRIYAS sprint distance triathlon (held on the Abu Dhabi Formula 1 track). It was 3 weeks out from the race and I didn’t even own a bike. I bought one that weekend and rode it 3 times before the race. I remember feeling pretty overwhelmed on race day, but when I crossed that finish line I was hooked. I knew I had found my sport – there was no question.
Why triathlon? It’s very time consuming and with a young family it would be hard to manage. What enticed you to start competing?
I really don’t know exactly why I love triathlon so much. I think it’s maybe a combination of the structured training plans towards meeting a race goal, along with the amazing triathlon community that I have met along the way. It is sometimes hard to manage the training around family commitments, but when you want something bad enough I think you always find a way to make it work.
Triathlon, and the training that goes in to races is important to me, and has become a huge part of my life, but I also keep a realistic approach to ensuring that things stay balanced as much as possible. To be honest, in the beginning I was enticed to compete for the medals and the t-shirt! Now it’s more for the sense of accomplishment and camaraderie that comes with racing.
You’re an Australian living in the USA. What do you think of the triathlon scene over there?
I’m based in North Carolina, about 45 mins north of Charlotte. The triathlon scene here is amazing. North Carolina has the most number of triathlon races in the US during the season. There is everything from 70.3 to short course races, and I love the varied distances and terrains. There is also a large and active triathlon community here, with a lot of clubs and teams for people of all abilities.
You’ve come from the heat of the Middle East to the cold of North Carolina. How do you find training in North Carolina?
This was one of my biggest concerns at first to be honest. I have spent most of my life in hot climates and have never been a fan of the cold weather. I have been surprised though how I have still been able to train in the cold, and even rainy conditions. Just a few weekends ago I completed a 100km charity ride where temps didn’t get over about 2 degrees for the whole ride. With the right gear on it’s actually not as bad as I thought it was going to be. I think that training in the cold has been good for building my mental toughness, as I find it a lot more uncomfortable training in the cold than the heat. It has really tested my resolve in training no matter what, and dealing with being uncomfortable. I think in the long run it will make me a stronger more resilient athlete now that I am training in all 4 seasons.
What do you do for work? How do you fit your training around this?
I’ve been very lucky for the last year as I was unable to work whilst waiting for my US Green Card, so was able to really just focus on my training. I am back working now as an independent consultant, and it is just a matter of scheduling my training in like I would schedule a meeting or other work responsibilities. I really enjoyed the year of training when I felt like it, now I have to train when I can!
What is your racing schedule looking like for the next six months?
I’m really excited about 2015 as I think it’s going to be a pretty sensational year of racing. My first race is Challenge Dubai on the 27th of February, followed by Ironman Texas on the 16th of May. I also plan to do Ironman 70.3 Augusta on the 27th of September and I will compete in some of the shorter local races in preparation for that. I am also considering adding Xterra races into my season this year as I have recently been out on the mountain bike here and I loved it!
After coming so close to a 70.3 World Championship slot with a 3rd place in AG at Miami 70.3, I am planning to work hard this season to be able to really get my hands on a slot this year! Ideally I would love to race at the 2016 world championships on the Sunshine Coast!
What’s the best piece of advice you’ve been given by a coach/friend/family member?
The best advice I’ve been given is to trust the training. Do the work, be consistent, and enjoy the opportunity to be able to compete in this awesome sport and you will see improvements and gains.
You’re doing a great job promoting women in triathlon through your blog/social media accounts under the name FitChicksTri. What advice would you give to other women out there?If you’re the slightest bit curious about triathlon, sign up and do one! It can appear daunting at first, but it really isn’t once you get started. But beware – it’s highly addictive!
Are you superstitious? Any quirky traits?
No thankfully I am not a superstitious person. Quirky traits – yes I have a long list of those – but I think that’s a prerequisite to being a triathlete!
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