Steve & Me

Few celebrities touched the world as Steve Irwin did. Beloved by people from all walks of life, his vast efforts at conservation continue to make a difference all over the globe. His wife Terri's commitment to carrying on his legacy is not only admirable, but inspirational to so many others who can benefit from her strength and conviction.

Their story is not just one of taking a noble cause to new heights of success and recognition, it is also a fairytale love affair. When Terri, and American tourist in Australia, first laid eyes on Steve, she saw a real-life action hero. When she tried to get a date, she was disappointed to learn that his heart already belonged to another. Steve offered to introduce her to his girlfriend, whistled, and presented his best gal: a Staffordshire Bull Terrier named Sui.

Later, he took Terri on the kind of date every girl dreams of--a canoe ride through the swamp at night. Terri describes the luminescent eyes of the crocodiles flashing in the beam of her flashlight in the otherwise total darkness. When Steve then confidently climbed out of the boat and into the water, she knew she would never feel unsafe again. The two married in June 1992, in Eugene, Oregon. The footage of their crocodile-trapping honeymoon became the first episode of The Crocodile Hunter.

The two of them went on to change the world. Their hit show was broadcast in over 137 countries, reaching 500 million people, and they founded the Australia Zoo in 1992, as well as the conservation foundation Wildlife Warriors Worldwide Ltd. in 2002. On September 4, 2006, Steve Irwin was fatally pierced in the chest by a stingray spine while snorkeling at the Great Barrier Reef, at Batt Reef, which is located off the coast of Port Douglas in Queensland. Irwin was at the time filming his own documentary, Ocean's Deadliest.