Robert Irwin has revealed in an intimate interview that he can’t believe it’s been almost two decades since his dad, Crocodile Hunter Steve Irwin, died. Steve passed away after an underwater accident at age 44, when Robert was just two years old, also leaving behind wife Terri Irwin, and daughter Bindi. The wildlife conservationist and Dancing With the Stars contestant said that as he gets older, he learns more and more about his dad, and feels closer to him than ever, despite having only spent a few years of his life with his father.
"He's still part of every day," Robert told People magazine in an exclusive interview. "He's part of every conversation. He's part of my life. And I feel as though I get a little part of him back in some way, in every conversation I have about him, or any new story I hear about him, or in any new photo that I haven't seen before."
Thanks to the popular show The Crocodile Hunter, which ran from 1997-2004, Robert has access to lots of video footage of his father, which helps him feel closer to him.
"I'll often come across archive footage that I haven't seen before," Robert said. "And all of a sudden, his memory just starts flooding back. So it's weird that decades later, after losing someone when I was two years old, I almost have an even greater picture of the person he was.”
"As I start to reach the same sort of milestones that he did as a young bloke growing up, I, yeah, I feel closer to him in a way," Robert added.
"My dad is like a superhero figure. He's like this omnipresent, just a superhero to me. And I'm so grateful for that, because while I didn't have much time with my dad, I have a human being who exemplifies everything I want to be in life.
"I think losing someone as important as him at such a young age solidified the idea that life is fragile," he shared.
"We don’t know what tomorrow holds, so you have to take calculated risks, you have to have fun, enjoy what you’re doing, and give everything 100 per cent,” he added.
Robert has been busy this year, with a hugely successful modeling contract with Australian underwear brand Bonds.
The advertisement depicted the 21-year-old posing in a pair of the brand's boxer briefs while sitting in a sunny backyard. A snake was draped round Robert's neck as he gazed towards the camera with a smouldering look.
Back in April, he confirmed that he was single in an interview with People, saying "It’s funny, I’m at this point in my life where I’m like, I’m so open to that, but I’m just waiting for the stars to align."
Sister Bindi is married to her childhood sweetheart Chandler Powell, who she met at the family’s wildlife sanctuary.
"I look at the couple goals in my life,” Robert said. “I look at when my brother-in-law Chandler and my sister Bindi met, it was just meant to be, and when my mum and dad met, it was this crazy serendipitous, amazing moment that just was a fluke.
"My family are so supportive, I just love them so much. They're the solid foundation to everything I do, and what we're doing together. We are all trying to continue an important legacy that my dad started."