Robert Irwin recently praised his mother, Terri Irwin, for her remarkable strength following his father Steve Irwin's death, calling her "the guiding force" behind his family during their most challenging times.
The 22-year-old conservationist opened up about his mother's resilience during an emotional appearance on "Not Gonna Lie with Kylie Kelce" on Thursday, sharing how Terri held the family together after Steve died in 2006. Robert was only two years old when his father passed away after being pierced by a stingray barb while filming a documentary at the Great Barrier Reef.
Robert Irwin Opens Up
"She's been the glue to hold us together through the most challenging times in our lives, particularly when my dad passed," Robert told podcast host Kylie Kelce. He explained that his mother not only dealt with her own grief and raised two young children, but also ensured that the conservation work she and Steve created together continued, according to Business Insider.
"It was my mom and dad creating this legacy. And then when he passed, she was the one person to pick up all the broken pieces and to say, 'I'm going to make sure everything that he lived for continues on,'" Robert said.
The young wildlife expert's recent reflections follow his emotional tribute to Terri during his winning season on "Dancing with the Stars" in October, where he performed to Phil Collins' "You'll Be in My Heart" in her honor. The performance brought both Robert and the show's judges to tears as Terri joined him on the dance floor.
"I think, growing up, there's certain things as a kid that you don't realize. I mean, a credit to my mum, I never felt as though I ever missed out on anything in life," Robert told PEOPLE magazine. "I always felt, obviously, I was missing a very big part of my life, but she made sure that I never felt I missed out. I got to have such an incredible childhood."
Now, with the perspective of adulthood, Robert recognizes the immense "strength" his mother had to keep going after Steve's death. "Let alone to continue the legacy that my dad started with her, but also to raise us kids," he explained.
Dedicated to his Mother
Robert described how his mother taught him the true meaning of strength. "True strength is being able to find and feel your own vulnerability, your own emotion, and use that to carry yourself and to hopefully try and help others and to create a community," he said. He added that Terri "teaches me every day what it is to put one foot in front of the other, even when it's so hard to do that."
The Irwin family continues to manage Australia Zoo in Queensland, where Robert says he feels closest to his father while feeding the same crocodiles Steve once cared for. Despite losing his father at such a young age, Robert says he continues to discover archive footage from "The Crocodile Hunter" television show, which helps keep his father's memory alive.
Robert's public tribute during "Dancing with the Stars" was his way of thanking not only his mother but "all of the single parents of the world, all of the moms out there who I feel like don't always get that recognition and celebration that they deserve," he explained. Looking back, Robert shared that at every milestone, he wished his father was there, but his mother filled that void: "She was there, and that was enough," as per E! Online.
