John “Jack” Starrett, the first person with a physical disability to swim across the English Channel, lived in Natick.
John “Jack” Starrett
When John “Jack” Starrett Jr. was born with cerebral palsy in 1925, his doctors only 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 that 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. (Source)
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 6th, 1964 Natick Bulletin article about Starrett’s successful English Channel crossing.
Natick Historical Society Collections
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. He also continued to swim competitively. Even as his focus turned to teaching children how to swim in the 1980s, he remained active with the New England Federation of Marathon Swimmers.
Despite the prognosis given to him as a child, John “Jack” Starrett did not let any challenge stop him (except the cold and the sharks on his two attempts to swim from Plymouth to Provincetown). Jack Starrett was an incredible athlete who raised worldwide awareness for cerebral palsy and contributed to his town and community in Natick.
by Gail Coughlin
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Selected sources and additional reading:
Natick Historical Society collections.
Natick Sun, August 6th, 1981
The New York Times, August 5th, 1964