Kelly Starrett (born 1973)[1] is a physical therapist, author, speaker and CrossFit trainer. His 2013 fitness book, Becoming a Supple Leopard, was featured on The New York Times bestselling sports books list.
Kelly Starrett grew up in Garmisch, Germany, where he enjoyed Alpine ski racing and kayaking.[2] He was raised by a single mother, an American-born professor, and did not have contact with his father.[3] When he was in high school, he and his mother moved to the United States.[2] He attended the University of Colorado.[2]
Athletic and fitness career
Before discovering CrossFit, Starrett paddled for the US canoeing and kayaking teams.[2] As a paddler, he won two national championships and competed in two world championships before receiving a repetitive strain injury.[2] In 2004, he and his wife Juliet began CrossFit training, eventually opening one of the first CrossFit gyms, San Francisco CrossFit in 2005.[2][4]
Starrett received a Doctorate degree in Physical Therapy from Samuel Merritt University in 2007.[5] In 2008, the Starretts started their fitness website MobilityWOD,[6] (renamed to The Ready State in 2019) which has been praised as a top fitness blog by Outside Magazine and other outlets.[7][8]
Since 2013, Starrett's fitness career has focused primarily on publishing and continued CrossFit and mobility training.[2] He was featured by 60 Minutes Sports in 2014 for his work on posture and mobility,[2][9] and has worked with his wife on a children's fitness nonprofit in 2015.[6]
Writing
Starrett is the author of three books about fitness and mobility.[10] Before writing full-length books, Starrett contributed articles to the Crossfit Journal, focusing on the basics of posture and gait.[2] His first book, The Supple Leopard (2013), highlights basic mechanics and range of motion.[11]Becoming a Supple Leopard made the New York Times bestselling sports books list,[12] though it did receive criticism for being "a trial and error method rather than a system of standard operating procedures to diagnose and fix movement."[13]
Starrett then released Ready to Run with coauthor T.J. Murphy in 2014.[14]Ready to Run examines shoe choice and foot health[2] as well as exercises to improve running biomechanics and mobility.[15] Erin Bresini, writing for Outside Magazine, described the book as offering relief from running injuries.[16] In his review for Breaking Muscle, Doug Dupont found the book "simple and accurate," but noted that the book "might not meet expectations" since it does not contain actual training plans.[17]
Starrett's 2016 book Deskbound was coauthored with his wife, Juliet Starrett, and Glen Cardoza. Deskbound describes the physiological and epidemiological effects of a sedentary lifestyle.[18] The book was precipitated by the launch of the Starretts' nonprofit, StandUp Kids, which raises money to purchase standing desks for children in schools.[6][19]
↑Starrett, Kelly; Murphy, T. J. (21 October 2014). Ready to Run: Unlocking Your Potential to Run Naturally. National Geographic Books. ISBN978-1628600094.
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