A TEAM of young boxers are jetting off to the other side of the world tomorrow to train and fight with one of the world's top clubs.

Spennymoor Boxing Academy will visit heavyweight champ Lennox Lewis' amateur club - Waterloo Regional Police Boxing Club in Canada, for a week.

But earlier this month the club feared it would have to cancel the trip when travel agents warned officials they may not be able to travel to Toronto because of the SARS virus.

Club secretary Paul Hodgson said: "We had a bit of a scare, everyone was devastated when we told them the trip could have been cancelled. A similar thing happened after September 11, but fortunately both times, things have fallen into place at the right time."

The 3,500 mile journey will be the first trip outside the region for some members so Terri Hughes, of Namaste Holistic Caf in Spennymoor, has offered them head massages to relax them.

Director of coaching Robert Ellis said: "It has taken a year to plan this trip and everyone is really looking forward to it. They will train and fight with boxers in one of the world's best boxing nations and see some incredible places."