Special to Natick Report from the Natick Historical Society. Written by Gail Coughlin, updated by Jennifer Richards
When John “Jack” Starrett, Jr. was born with cerebral palsy in 1925, his doctors gave him a few years to live. He quickly proved that he had other plans. Originally a form of physical therapy, long-distance swimming became a passion and way of life for Starrett, and it took him all over the world and across the English Channel.
John Starrett at London Airport July 24, 1964. Weeks before his successful swim across the English Channel.
Starrett’s roots are local. He lived his whole life in Massachusetts and spent the peak of his career in Natick. To fund his passion for swimming, he worked as a game warden and conservation worker with the Massachusetts Division of Fisheries and Wildlife. Coached by Louis Antonellis of Waltham, Starrett spent four to six hours each day training in local bodies of water, including Lake Cochituate in Natick, Dudley Pond in Wayland, and the Atlantic Ocean. He competed in races in Gloucester with other local marathon swimmers from Massachusetts. He taught many children to swim at the Natick Summer Swimming Program, the Y.M.C.A in Natick and at Dudley Pond.
By 1948, Starrett was a professional swimmer competing in Canada, Europe, Africa, and South America races with the World Federation of Marathon Swimmers. He even won a marathon swim at a Canadian Expedition attended by Queen Elizabeth II. In a 1981 interview with the Natick Sun, Starrett described himself as “one of the first few pro marathoners.”
From nearly the outset of his career, Starrett set his sights on completing a solo crossing of the English Channel. Although a professional and accomplished athlete, Starrett frequently shared that he could not make a living solely from long-distance swimming; Starrett needed a sponsor to help raise the $5,000 he needed to cross the English Channel. He found a sponsor in the United Cerebral Palsy Foundation of America. The charity used Starrett’s story to raise money and awareness for cerebral palsy. On August 4, 1964, Jack Starrett successfully crossed the English Channel. The 22-mile swim from France to England took him twelve hours and forty-five minutes. He was the first person with a physical disability to complete the swim. Afterward, he stated: “I hope my success will provide inspiration for anyone else who suffers from an affliction.”
August 6, 1964, Natick Bulletin article about Starrett’s successful English Channel crossing.
The English Channel crossing made Starrett a celebrity at home in Natick and worldwide. His coach, Louis Antonellis, claimed that Starrett’s swim rekindled widespread interest in the challenge of swimming across the English Channel. After the swim, Starrett continued his career as a game warden and continued to swim competitively. Even as he focused on teaching children how to swim in the 1980s, he remained active with the New England Federation of Marathon Swimmers.
Defying the grim prognosis of his youth, John “Jack” Starrett embraced every challenge with unwavering resolve (save for the chilling waters and lurking sharks during his two attempts to swim from Plymouth to Provincetown). Jack Starrett emerged as an extraordinary athlete, illuminating the plight of those with cerebral palsy while leaving an indelible mark on his beloved community of Natick.
More history posts:
- Natick’s Historic Clark’s Block
- When Natick was Crowned Home of Champions, and Firefighting was an Olympic Sport
- Building and Celebrating the Soldiers’ Monument in Natick (1868 – present)
- Natick’s Great Fire of 1874: Looking back 150 years later
- Natick history: The South Natick fire of 1872
- President George Washington’s Morning Ride Through Natick
