While currently competing on the Hollywood show Dancing with the Stars, Robert Irwin’s heart remains in Australia. In a recent interview with Travel + Leisure, the 21-year-old conservationist shared that Australia is the place where he feels the strongest connection to his late father, Steve Irwin.
“It is where I feel his energy and his passion more than anywhere else,” Robert stated. The Australian native added, “That’s the great part of getting to live here. It’s so easy to get out in the middle of nowhere and just forget everything. You feel like you’re part of something so much bigger than yourself.”
For context, Steve passed away on September 4, 2006, after being attacked by a stingray while filming on the Australian coast. Elsewhere in the interview, Robert mentioned that his father was always “the embodiment of passion, of living life to 100 percent.”
He expressed, “If Australia were a person, it would be my dad. To love your wildlife, to be passionate, to have that spirit of mateship and camaraderie with everyone. He is just a superhero to me.” On September 16, Robert captivated audiences with a stellar performance to Steppenwolf’s track “Born to Be Wild” on the premiere episode of DTWS season 34.
