Just after he was dubbed the Season 34 winner of DWTS, Robert Irwin revealed why the win meant so much to him.
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Speaking to PEOPLE following the DWTS season finale, Robert said he was happy to win the same dance competition his sister, Bindi, won a decade earlier.
“To follow in those footsteps and to do the same has meant everything to me,” he stated. “This has absolutely changed my life.”
The DWTS Season 34 winner further shared why winning the show is an opportunity to spread the message about his family’s conservation work, Australia Zoo, and Wildlife Warriors, their charity.
“It’s about making the world a better place,” he pointed out. “And when I watched her lift that Mirrorball, I saw her lifting that message.”
Irwin couldn’t help but praise his pro-dancer partner, Witney Carson. “I’m just so grateful that I was here on this journey with Witney. You’ve got me forever,” he declared. “Witney pours her heart and soul into this, and I’m just so happy that we are here.”
Carson further stated that she couldn’t think of anyone more deserving of the trophy than Irwin. “I feel like I’ve been so proud of you week to week, and just to see you shine has been one of my biggest highlights in my life, and I just am so, so proud of you.”
The DWTS Season 34 Winner Suffered an Injury Right Before the Finale
Right before the season finale, Irwin suffered a rib injury.
In a TikTok post earlier this week, Carson spoke about how she and Irwin were doing, both emotionally and physically, as they prepared for the season finale.
“11 weeks of crazy, vigorous, hard dancing,” she explained. “My body is feeling it. Robert’s body is feeling it. We’re, like, kind of falling apart right now. Just trying to keep it together for, like, two more days. Literally today and tomorrow, and then it’s over.”
Carson further stated that Irwin’s ribs had been killing him. However, she didn’t reveal what caused the injury. “[Viewers will] get a better idea of what we’ve been dealing with all week,” she said.
While appearing on Good Morning America on Wednesday, Irwin spoke about the rib injury. “We wanted to push through. Witney was amazing at changing up some of the moves that we had to do in there. We had to change on the fly, but our last dance — that freestyle — was a way to say thank you to everybody who’d been on that journey.”
Irwin also said that he and Carson wanted power through because it was the way to show their gratitude for the experience. “And honestly, I’ll heal up!” He added. “Mate, I catch crocs. I’m used to it. It’s all good.”