Roy-Allan Burch, the Bermuda swimmer, remains optimistic of qualifying for next year’s Olympics in Rio as he starts his long, slow road to recovery after a freak injury.

Burch ruptured both his patella tendons after falling during a training session for his team, SwimMac Carolina, in April and admits there are days when he feels like calling it quits.

The 29-year-old, who does not expect to return to action for another eight months, said that even in those dark moments, however, his desire the reach his third Olympics has stayed strong.

“I feel like [giving up] a lot, but I feel more strongly about how I would feel if I didn’t go through with it,” said Burch, who is based in North Carolina.

“I just have to see what I can overcome and I’m pushing through to see what I’m capable of. Giving up is just not me.”

Burch, who had qualified for next month’s Pan Am Games in Toronto, is unable to negotiate stairs but is able to swim and perform strength and conditioning exercises in the pool.

“It’s pretty early [in my recovery], I still can’t do stairs yet and that’s the next thing I need to get to,” said Burch, who competes in the 50 and 100 metres freestyle, as well as the 50 butterfly.

“I’m walking around okay, but I try to rest most of the time unless I’m doing the type of exercises I’m allowed to do.

“Usually I try to do the exercises twice a day, but now I’m swimming again and that allows me to do a lot of stuff in the water.

“I’m also able to drive and that gives me a lot more freedom and ability to get to where I need to go. That’s made a tremendous difference.”

Qualifying for the Olympics after such a serious injury would arguably be Burch’s greatest achievement in sport, but he admits that staying positive throughout his painstaking programme of rehabilitation has not been easy.

“The weakness of the injury makes it very difficult, but I want to make myself better throughout this process,” Burch said.

“I try to take a long-term view and not think about what I’m doing in that particular moment. I try to think about what stage I will be at in a month’s time.

“I have a timeline to qualify for the Olympics; I have to think of ways I can get stronger throughout this process.

“My goal at this point is to make the Olympics and whatever happens after that doesn’t really matter. It’s important for me just to think about being there. That would be pretty amazing.”