Jade Ashmore jets off to Canada to pursue boxing dream

Jade Ashmore has been invited on an all-expenses-paid trip to the country to fight Mandy Buyold, 30, who finished fifth in the Rio Games last summer.

The Canadian's coach sees rising star Ashmore as having the potential to challenge his athlete, so contacted her on social media to issue the invitation.

The 19-year-old England international was thrilled to accept and flies out to Canada tomorrow to fight her host on April 1 before spending a week at a training camp with the Canadian team.

"It is a great opportunity for me to test myself against a senior international," said Ashmore, who is studying to become a gym instructor at Bradford College.

"She is far more experienced than I am. She has had hundreds of senior bouts, whereas I have had less than ten, so it will be really good to see where I am compared to her.

"I am really looking forward to the camp too. It will be good to hear from other coaches and be a good test of how I adapt to being in a different country, in a different environment out of my comfort zone.

"It will also be excellent preparation for the Elite National Championships which take place at York Hall in London at the end of April."

Ashmore, who has already landed titles and medals at English, British and European levels, was contacted via Facebook while on a Great Britain assessment camp at the English Institute of Sport in Sheffield.

She is set to find out whether she impressed enough on that camp to be called into the national development squad, which would essentially make her a full-time athlete.

Ashmore said: "It was a four-day camp where we were assessed on our physical and technical ability. If I make the squad, I would attend the Institute of Sport eight days a month for intense training and development work."

Coach Mally McIver will accompany Ashmore on the trip. Another of his students is Harris Akbar, who earlier this month was called into the Great Britain podium potential squad.