I t was early morning in late September, off the coast of Kaş in Turkey. Watching the slightly choppy sea from a boat, the last thing I felt like doing was embarking on another 5km (3-mile) swim. Mind fog had sapped my energy, and my mood was decidedly Eeyore-like. But as I pulled on my cap and flippers, adjusted my goggles and took the plunge, something shifted.

Head in the water, the knotted feeling in my throat began to loosen. Breathing came properly. There was respite.

My swimming is far from sophisticated – my strokes are messy and I am mostly kicking from the knees. Still, I manage to move forward, albeit slowly, hugging the coastline of Turkey’s Lycian Way , turning a corner and entering an area of calm. The water is blue-green. Fish glide purposefully beneath, and I’m uplifted when I see a turtle navigating around a rock on the seabed.

I came to Turkey with SwimTrek , a Brighton-based company offering guided open-water swim tours. The plan is to complete 25km over five days.…