Ocean Gorecki had trained for years to become a top swimmer. But nothing could have prepared him for the challenge that began not in the water — but in a hospital bed.
Just days before he was to start classes at McCallie School — a top prep academy in Tennessee known for its rigorous academics and nationally ranked swim team — the 16-year-old from Gainesville was critically injured in a head-on car crash.
Credit: Photo by local authorities.
Credit: Photo by local authorities.
On the night of Aug. 5, 2023, Ocean and his father were picking up takeout. Driving home in a 1979 Mazda RX-7, Ocean saw headlights veer into their lane. A Honda Pilot, driven by a woman who authorities said had a blood alcohol level of .232, well above Georgia’s .08 limit, veered across the center line and slammed into them.
“It felt like looking death in the eye,” Ocean said.
The Mazda absorbed most of the impact. Ocean’s seatbelt failed, and he bent the steering wheel to avoid being crushed by flying metal, or worse, being thrown from the vehicle.
Father and son were critically injured. Ocean slipped into unconsciousness.
He woke up in the hospital, immobilized by a neck brace. His injuries were extensive: a traumatic brain injury, a broken ankle, a broken nose, torn biceps, and deep lacerations. As nurses moved through the room and monitors beeped around him, his mother took his hand and prayed with him.
“Everybody’s praying for you,” she said as she tried to comfort him.
Ocean had just one question: Would he ever swim again?
Relentless return
Ocean’s parents, doctors, and coaches were incredibly supportive. But few believed he’d be well enough to start school and swim practice on time. His body was bruised and broken. Recovery would be long and painful.
But eight days after the crash, Ocean arrived at McCallie for the first day of classes — on crutches, wrapped in bandages, and determined to move forward.
“I didn’t see not doing it as an option,” said Ocean, now 18. “I knew this wasn’t going to hold me back.”
McCallie had been the next step in a rising swimming career. Ocean had spent eight years competing with Swim Atlanta and helped set a school record as a freshman at Forsyth Central High School. The move to McCallie was about leveling up — in and out of the pool.
In those first weeks, Ocean couldn’t swim. But he showed up anyway — watching practices, cheering on teammates, and finding ways to get in the water.
Credit: Ben Gray
Credit: Ben Gray
“I would crutch over to the pool, kneel down, and my coach would help lower me in,” he said.
With his foot still swollen, Ocean relied on his upper body. Using a pull buoy to keep his legs afloat, he swam with just his arms — no push-offs, no kicks.
McCallie School coaches Stan Corcoran and Zane Hamilton said they were in awe of Ocean’s determination and ability to push through the pain, often with a smile on his face.
“There were plenty of things he couldn’t physically do, but that didn’t stop him,” Hamilton said. “That’s what I appreciate most about Ocean. He has setbacks and gets discouraged like anyone else, but he finds a way around them by staying focused on the positive.”
By December 2023, Ocean was competing again. Slowly, his time improved. By spring 2024, he was swimming faster than ever, with personal bests in the 100 freestyle (47.8), 200 free (1:44), and state-qualifying times in both backstroke and butterfly.
Ocean said a big inspiration in his recovery was his father, Cumming neurosurgeon John P. Gorecki, who also had been severely injured in the accident and had his own hard road back.
MindMend8: Pain meets purpose
Physical therapy was brutal. One task — picking up 50 cold pebbles with his toes — was agonizing. One day, while studying for Chinese class, Ocean began counting the pebbles in Mandarin.
And something unexpected happened: The pain dulled.
“I was so focused on the numbers and the mental process that the pain just … faded,” Ocean said. “It was like I’d hacked my brain.”
Credit: Ben Gray
Credit: Ben Gray
What began as a coping strategy became a research project. Ocean started studying how cognitive redirection — primarily through language learning — might help others manage physical pain, even anxiety.
He launched a platform called MindMend8, began volunteering at a local pain clinic, and started applying his theory with real patients in his community.
Dr. Miranda Reed Cleaver, an anesthesiologist and pain management specialist at Cleaver Medical Group in Cumming, allowed Ocean to shadow her.
Several times a week, between swim practices and classes, Ocean was at the clinic, testing out his ideas.
“It’s kind of that mind-over-matter thing that we always hear,” Cleaver said. “And it works.”
She describes Ocean as smart, driven, highly intelligent and kind.
Credit: Ben Gray
Credit: Ben Gray
“I have two younger sons, and I can only hope they become someone as wonderful as he is,” Cleaver said. “He’s phenomenal.”
Ocean’s research was recently accepted by the Curieux Academic Journal, which publishes exceptional research by high school and middle school students.
Ocean said he believes his idea could be a promising non-pharmacological approach to managing pain — especially for patients hesitant about using opioids.
“This all started with me just trying to get through therapy,” he said. “Now I see it might actually help people in a much bigger way.”
Still, he’s quick to say he has much more research to do.
The kid named Ocean
Born and raised in Gainesville, Ocean didn’t get his name from a trend — it was a tribute.
“My mom loved the water,” he said. “She said the ocean was strong but peaceful — and that’s how I got my name.”
He grew up swimming in Lake Lanier, hanging out at Road Atlanta, and cheering on the Falcons. Now a senior and captain of McCallie’s swim team, he’s hoping to lead the team to a fourth straight state title.
He’s looking at colleges including Duke, UGA, and Washington and Lee. He plans to continue swimming competitively and study cognitive science or neuroscience and linguistics.
“I want to be a brain expert,” he said. “This whole experience made me realize how powerful the mind is — not just in recovery, but in how we live.”
To learn more about Ocean’s research, go to MindMend8 at mindmend8.com.
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