Roseline Filion's broken foot on the mend ahead of Rio 2016

Despite a boot on her right foot and crutches at the ready, Canadian diver Roseline Filion says everything's good as she gets back in shape for the Rio Olympics.

"I can't go back, I have to look forward," said Filion, the 2015 Pan American and 2014 Commonwealth Games champion in the 10-metre synchro. "Do everything that my coaches and doctors tell me to do to maximize my time. It's probably a blessing in disguise that I'm going to have time to work on stuff that I usually don't have time to."

The injury occurred at a training session In Saskatoon on Dec. 17, two days before start of the national championships. While practicing flips on mats, Filion had an awkward take-off. She missed the mats, landed directly on her heels on concrete and broke her right ankle.

"I didn't know it was broken," she told CBC Sports at a BMW sponsorship event on Friday. "I still wanted to compete but couldn't walk. At one point I considered having my coach carry me up the 10-metre platform and throwing myself down, but it was way too dangerous and I had to withdraw from the competition."

On her return home to Laval, Que., an MRI and bone scan showed that she had indeed broken her ankle.

"The first days I was obviously very upset. In 20 years of diving it's my first big injury, and it's the year of the Olympics," said Filion, 28. "You have to expect the unexpected, I guess."

Filion and compatriot Meaghan Benfeito won a bronze medal in the 10-metre synchro at the 2012 Olympics in London. They are hoping to do even better in Rio, but the injury has jeopardized the possibility. Benfeito will compete in individual events only on the World Cup until Filion heals, but has faith in her partner's return.

"I'm not too worried," she said. "It's still very early. She's healing very well. She's very strong mentally too. She knows how do her dives so when she gets back up there she's going to be fine. I'd rather her get better than try to go too fast and hurt herself again."

Filion still goes to practice every day and watches people dive while she does her exercises. It's a challenge; she'd rather be among them. She's scheduled to have another scan at the beginning of February to determine when she can walk and jump off her right foot.

But her main focus is the Olympics this summer, so she is no rush. She does specialized weights on her legs to keep them strong, mental exercises to continue to visualize her dives and will soon be wearing a water boot to do no-impact exercises in the pool.

"I'm going to work differently, but I think it's going to have a positive impact on me in the end," she said.