We have a team of professional coaches at Altitude ready and capable of helping athletes of any skill level achieve their health, wellness or sporting goals.
Josh Downer
Director of Performance & Coaching
– MSc. Kinesiology – University of Toronto
– BSc. Kinesiology – University of Guelph-Humber
– Certified Strength & Conditioning Specialist with the National Strength and Conditioning Association (NSCA)
– Diploma Health & Fitness Promotion – Humber College
– Eleiko Certified Olympic Weightlifting Strength Coach
– Pre-Script Nutrition Certification
Josh is the Director of Performance & Coaching at Altitude Athletic Training, where he leads the coaching team and oversees the design and delivery of evidence-based programs for clients ranging from everyday fitness enthusiasts to elite athletes and mountaineers. With over a decade of experience across clinical, academic, and high-performance sport settings, Josh specializes in movement analysis, exercise physiology, and hypoxic training to help individuals achieve their peak performance and health goals.
Josh was pivotal in building Altitude’s foundation, developing performance standards and coaching systems, and now plays a central role in scaling Altitude’s impact and guiding long-term growth.
His journey in high-performance sport began with martial arts and later expanded into competitive bobsleigh, marathon running, and now strongman sport. Beyond coaching, Josh taught in the University of Toronto’s Faculty of Kinesiology & Physical Education during his MSc. and mentors kinesiology student interns through Altitude Athletic Training’s internship program in partnership with Ontario Universities.
Josh holds a Master of Science in Kinesiology from the University of Toronto, a Bachelor of Science in Kinesiology from the University of Guelph-Humber, and a Health & Fitness Promotion diploma from Humber College. He is also a Certified Strength and Conditioning Specialist (NSCA-CSCS), with additional certifications in endurance coaching (Altis), Olympic weightlifting (Eleiko), and nutrition coaching (Pre-Script).
Yaath Rajshankar
Strength and Conditioning Coach - Mountain Lead
– Bachelor’s of Kinesiology
– Certified Strength & Conditioning Specialist with the National Strength and Conditioning Association (NSCA)
– Certified Ultrarunning Coach with the United Endurance Sports Coaching Academy (UESCA)
– ACMG Top Rope Climbing Instructor
– Registered Yoga Teacher (RYT-300)
– NCCP Multisport Certified
– Paddle Canada – Tandem Moving Water
– Outdoor Council of Canada – Hiking Field Leader, Paddle Field Leader, Overnight Leader
– Yoga Therapist in Training (pending CYT-1000+)
Yaath is the Mountain Lead at Altitude Athletic Training, where he works alongside the Director of Performance for developing mountain-specific programming and assessments, while supporting a wide variety of individuals preparing for climbing and high-altitude objectives. His multi-disciplinary approach bridges performance science and real-world mountain experience, enabling him to ensure athletes are prepared not just physically, but holistically, for demanding environments.
Growing up, Yaath played various sports but dedicated most of his time to competitive soccer. After career-ending concussions, his passion shifted to the outdoors. He has since become a 4-season adventurer, pursuing multi-day expeditions across various hiking, paddling, mountaineering and climbing objectives.
Yaath earned his Bachelor’s degree in Kinesiology from the University of Toronto. As an honours graduate, he specialized in exercise physiology with a focus on altitude and environmental physiology. Since then, he continues to study and learn, constantly earning new certifications from various disciplines to build his experience and expertise.
With his multi-disciplinary approach, Yaath works with a wide variety of clients, from individuals dealing with complex chronic aches & pains, to high performance athletes pursuing technically demanding objectives.
Alongside his role at Altitude, Yaath is actively pursuing research pathways in altitude physiology, while methodically building his prerequisites for his long-term goal of entering the ACMG Alpine Guide program.
Lex Smith
Strength and Conditioning Coach
– Bachelor of Science in Kinesiology – University of Toronto
– Certified Strength & Conditioning Specialist with the National Strength and Conditioning Association (NSCA) – Pending
– General Certificate of Massage – Oxford School of Sports Massage
– Former Junior & Professional Hockey Player – Washington Capitals Organization – Europe
Lex holds a Bachelor of Science in Kinesiology from the University of Toronto, where he focused on the anatomy and physiology of training. He applies this foundation to his coaching, ensuring that every aspect of a program—from exercise selection to loading and recovery—is grounded in sound training principles.
He also holds a General Certificate of Massage, complementing his scientific background with a hands-on understanding of the body. This allows him to take a more holistic approach to performance, recovery, and injury management.
Lex’s athletic background is rooted in hockey. He played junior hockey within the Washington Capitals organization before continuing his career professionally in Europe. The demands of competing at a high level—balancing in-season performance, travel, and recovery—shaped his approach to preparation, workload management, and long-term athletic development.
After stepping away from hockey, Lex transitioned into a hybrid training approach, combining marathon training with a strong emphasis on strength development. This dual focus continues to influence how he works with clients balancing endurance goals with strength, performance, and busy schedules.
His coaching philosophy centers on understanding how the body moves, adapts, and recovers. He brings this perspective to every client he works with, from high-performance athletes to those beginning their fitness journey. He is currently pursuing his Certified Strength and Conditioning Specialist designation through the NSCA.
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