For retiring Paralympic great McKeever, the work proves more rewarding than his 19 medals

Brian McKeever, 42, owns 15 career Paralympic gold medals.

On the night of his most recent title, 21-year-old Natalie Wilkie claimed her third.

Afterwards, Wilkie laughed.

"I don't think I could ever match your record," she said to McKeever, Canada's most decorated Winter Paralympian.

McKeever wasn't so sure.

"I said, 'Well, that depends. You started much younger than I did.' 

"I said don't worry about that anyway. It's just about going out and having fun. And your career will be as long as you want it to be and that's it," McKeever recounted in an interview with CBC Sports.

It's a message McKeever, who said Beijing 2022 will be his last Games, practised over 20 years and six Paralympics.

The plan paid off to the tune of 19 total medals, including all those golds. He became the first Canadian to be selected to both the Paralympic and Olympic teams at Vancouver 2010, though he was ultimately left on the sidelines in the latter.

WATCH | McKeever uses burst to win sprint gold:

Beijing is shaping up as his golden goodbye. He's won every individual race at each of his past three Paralympics. And he can make it four straight in his final individual race on Friday at 10:20 p.m. ET.

But it was never about the awards for the Canmore, Alta., native.

"The motivation's always come from within. It's always been about trying to push myself to be just a little bit better each year than I was the last and experiment with the training, and that's what I like to do," McKeever said.

He said that was the key to his stunning longevity, and that those who prioritize medals normally don't stick around as long.

"When you wake up and it's pouring rain and it's four degrees and you have to go for a five-hour session, if your motivation is only