Working full-time as a car salesman in an Audi showroom is not the best preparation for an athlete hoping to make his mark at the Commonwealth Games.

But thanks to a $10,000 grant from Bermuda Olympic Association (BOA)'s Delhi Development Fund, Tyrone Smith will be able to relocate to Europe during the build-up to the Games, which are held in India next October.

For the first time in his career, the Bermuda long jumper will no longer have to "chase the dollar" which he needed to fund his previous shoestring campaigns.

He plans to make his temporary move to Southern Europe in May where he will be able to immerse himself in his training and compete in "tune-up" meets.

"It is a really big relief for me and I am certainly breathing a little easier," said Houston-based Smith. "Since I graduated in 2007 things have been a struggle as it has been tough to fully commit to my sport while also being financially responsible.

"If you look at the guys who are winning medals, they don't have full-time jobs so they have a distinct advantage over me. Sometimes I am unable to accomplish what I want to get out of a training session because I have to race to work.

"The grant means I don't have to keep chasing every dollar. I am able to do a full training routine, go home and have a shower at a leisurely pace before returning to work." The grant came about following a request, on his behalf, by Bermuda Track and Field Association.

Having to swap his tracksuit for a shirt and tie has long been a source of frustration for Smith. By his own admission he under-achieved at the 2008 Beijing Olympics in 2008, where he spoke to BOA president Judy Simons about the amount of funding he needed to improve his performances.

"In Beijing the BOA president promised me she would do all she could to ensure I received more financial support, and that promise had now come to life," said Smith, who will also be competing for Bermuda at the CAC Games in Puerto Rico in July.

"I pretty much laid out the things I wanted and needed to maximise my performance and training schedule."

While his agent has been looking at suitable European locations for Smith to set up his Commonwealth Games training base, he has been setting his sights on the World Indoor Championships, in Qatar in March.

"Southern France, Italy or Greece are the most likely destinations I will move to," said the 24-year-old. "I want the heat and humidity to be similar to what I am used to in Houston.

"It makes sense for to me move to Europe where I will have to get a secondary coach. It is where the important meets I need to be competing are held. The BOA grant will cover my room and board as well as my expenses back in Houston."

Former Bermuda triple jumper, Brian Wellman, acted as Smith's mentor during a meet in Bogota, Columbia, last summer. The ex-world indoor champion, who was a guest speaker at the BTFA annual banquet at the weekend, said he would continue to offer Smith advice if needed.

"He has got a good coach, he is working with Carl Lewis' coach (Thomas Tellez)," said Wellman. "All I do for him is give him insight to things that as an former athlete I have knowledge about . . . Little things that I experienced, things that I have the knowledge of I can help him with. Any issues he has he knows he can speak to me about. Even the technical stuff I can always give some advice on.

"Sometimes when you hear it from your coach you still need to hear it a different way from somebody else."

Along with Smith, Aaron Evans, Tre Houston and Aranxta King have already qualified for the Commonwealth Games.