Originally appeared on E! Online
Robert Irwin has the perfect way of keeping his dad close.
As the 21-year-old prepares for “Dancing With the Stars” semifinals on Nov. 18, Irwin detailed the two keepsakes from dad Steve Irwin — who died in 2006 — he wears on every performance day: a button-down shirt that Robert repaired, as well as a ring he created from keys to his childhood home he found in Steve’s office.
“These two things are a way to keep me close to home and to what’s most important to me,” he said in his Nov. 17 video, for which he wore both the shirt and the ring. Of the repaired shirt, he added, “I like that it still looks and feels like him. Each one of the holes, and the tears, and each of the missing buttons tells a story.”
The environmental advocate went on to detail how he begins every Tuesday — show day on “Dancing With the Stars” — by putting on the shirt, which he then wears to the studio and for his first dress rehearsals before getting into wardrobe.
READ Bindi Irwin Supports Brother Robert Irwin After Emotional DWTS Tribute to Late Dad Steve Irwin
“So before you guys see that dance in costume, I’ve always done that dance at least once in dad’s shirt,” he said. “It keeps me close to home, it keeps me close to him. It just feels like a big hug every time I put it on.”
As for the ring, it bears the number of Australia Zoo, his and his family’s home located at 1638 Steve Irwin Way.
“It’s the most beautiful experience,” Robert continued of “Dancing With the Stars,” which has allowed him to pay tribute to his dad multiple times this season. “In some way, I want him part of it. Because this experience has truly changed my life. And I know I wouldn’t be here without him and his legacy that I get to continue.”
He added, “I’m just so grateful that I’m heading into the home stretch, this is it. I’m doing this for a purpose and a cause that is close to my heart: before anything else, I’m an animal conservationist. I proudly continue the work that my mum and dad started.”
And indeed, his mom Terri Irwin couldn’t be prouder. As she wrote on his post, “This is incredibly special and meaningful. Your dad would be chuffed for sure. He loved you so much,” adding, “I love what you did with your dad’s keys.”
But while Robert has honored his dad’s legacy during “Dancing With the Stars,” he also paid special tribute to his mom for the season’s “Dedication Night” on Oct. 14. For dance in Terri’s honor, Robert and his partner Witney Carson danced to Phil Collins’ “You’ll Be in My Heart.”
The dance, which saw Terri join her son in the end, left Robert in tears.
“She’s an absolute hero to me, because I was 2 when I lost dad,” Robert shared after the performance. “As I got older, [I] started to realize just how hard it would have been for her to be there for us, and all the while continue dad’s legacy that her and dad built together.”
Growing emotional, he added he’s “never been able to capture the feeling of gratitude I feel for it.”
“At every milestone when I just wished that my dad was there, she was there,” he said. “And that was enough.”
The wildlife conservationist and his “Dancing with the Stars” pro partner Witney Carson join Access Daily’s Mario Lopez and Kit Hoover to share insight on their intense rehearsals and even show off a few moves.
