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Robert Irwin credits his mother, Terri Irwin, as one of his biggest heroes.
Speaking exclusively to PEOPLE after Dancing with the Stars’ “Dedication Night” on Tuesday, Oct. 14, the 21-year-old wildlife conservationist opened up about how Terry, 61, “embodies” strength and is a role model.
“My mom embodies how to be strong, and I think so many people have forgotten what it means to be strong,” Robert told PEOPLE. “You think being strong is like being steadfast. You just show up and just keep doing it and everything will be fine. That’s not strength.”
“True strength is finding and feeling your own weaknesses, your own emotions, and using that to move yourself and hopefully help others and build community,” he continues. “And my mom is a very sweet, vulnerable, yet strong and grounded person, and she shows me every day what it means to put one foot in front of the other, even when it’s very difficult.”
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Robert, who co-starred with Terry on DWTS’ special memorial, praised his mother for helping him share his family’s story for others.
“I really hope that our story and the story that we tried to create tonight resonates and helps other people,” he says.
“I think we’ve all felt lost at some point in our lives, and I really hope this article reminds everyone,” Robert added. “There are people out there who care about you and want to see you do well. Just keep putting one foot in front of the other and you’ll be fine.”
PEOPLE’s conversation with the DWTS contestant came after he paid tribute to his mother on the show’s “Dedication Night” episode, giving an emotional performance to Phil Collins’ “You’ll Be in My Heart” with professional partner Whitney Carson.
Terry joined Robert and Witney, 32, on the dance floor as the song came to a close, and Robert’s sister Bindi Irwin, 27, ran over to give Terry a hug before receiving her score from the judges.
This moving performance brought tears to Robert’s eyes as well as judges Derek Hough and Bruno Tonioli, and Teri seemed emotional throughout.
After the family-friendly performance, Robert talked about how the death of his father, Steve Irwin, who died at age 44 from a stingray barb while filming in Australia in 2006, has shaped the Irwin family’s story.
Robert told PEOPLE that his mother helped him cope with the death of the late “Crocodile Hunter.”
“As an adult, I think there are things you don’t realize as a child. I mean, I give my mom credit for never feeling like I was missing out on anything in life,” Robert says.
“Obviously, I always felt like I was missing out on a big part of my life, but she made sure I never felt like I was missing out,” he explains. “I had a great childhood, but when you get a little older, you can look back and see things objectively.”
Robert said he now realizes the “strength” his mother “had to continue living” after his father’s death. “It’s about continuing the legacy that my father started with her, but also raising our children,” he says.
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While working on his “Dedication Night” routine, Robert reflected on his grief and the effort he put into his performance in a TikTok video on Oct. 12, admitting, “It’s been a tough week.”
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“We’ve been working hard and we’ve started to express emotions that we haven’t really shared before, obviously not publicly,” Robert said in the video. “I’ve been thinking a lot about my dad. I’ve been thinking a lot about the ups and downs and the sadness and the way my mom helped me get through it.”
“This dance is really the culmination of many emotions, and I want this to be a point of vulnerability,” he continued. “I want this to be a dance not only for my mother, but for all mothers who don’t get the recognition they deserve. I want this to be a dance for everyone who has lost someone.”
“I hope this dance helps people, because it has certainly helped me,” Robert concludes in the video.
