When Malaysian diver Pandelela Rinong snagged a podium finish with a 10m platform bronze medal at the 2012 London Olympics, things were looking optimistic for the young athlete.

The first from her country to nab aGames medal outside of badminton, she found herself thrust into the limelight upon her return.

Four years later, as she prepares for Rio, expectations are running high that she will bring home another medal - a tall order for the 1.59m Sarawakian.

"My aim is to break my personal record," the 23-year-old told The Sunday Times, stopping short of admitting that a medal is on the cards.

To do so would mean surpassing the 385.05 points she amassed at last year's Fina World Championships in Kazan, Russia en route to Malaysia's first bronze at the event.

Achieving that would most likely mean a medal, although the hue of the metal will depend on whether she can further close the gap on her rivals.

In London, although she was third, she was 63.1 points behind the winning total. But at last year's World Championships, she cut the gap to 12 points.

"It's true we never got gold at the Olympics, but I don't close the door to that possibility," she said in an interview in March with Fina, the international body that governs water sports.

"Everyone in Malaysia expects an Olympic medal from me, and there is some public pressure. But I can cope with that."

She has had to shuttle between China and Malaysia a few times a year for much of her preparation for Rio. And it was on a trip back that she found time to speak to this newspaper at the dormitory that is a five-minute walk from the National Aquatic Centre pool in Bukit Jalil.

Training as a diver since the age of eight, she joined the national diving team when she was only 14.

The gruelling routine of eight-hour sessions (with a break in between for lunch and a short rest) for 51/2 days a week has shaped her schedule throughout her life, as she commuted between training pools, dormitory and tournaments.

She follows a similar routine in China, where training is conducted for a month each time.

Such a regimented schedule can take its toll. To inject some variety and fun in her life, she turns to Snapchat and is an avid fan of Korean pop culture.

She already has plans lined up after Rio to backpack in South Korea in hopes of catching her favourite K-pop groups, Big Bang and 2NE1.

"I'll travel to Seoul, eat their food, visit the entertainment agency buildings," gushes Pandelela, revealing another side to the serious athlete whom Malaysians have come to admire.

Though she is a celebrity herself, the diver has remained grounded and unaffected by international achievements, those close to her said.

While she has come a long way from living in a small town off Kuching, she has not forgotten her roots, often describing her childhood as one with "humble" beginnings.

"She's appreciative of people who trained and helped her," said Mae Chen, Malaysia's national diving team manager and secretary of the Amateur Swimming Union of Malaysia.

Growing up as an athlete meant that the youngster spent her teenage years away from home, seeing little of her family.