The Crocodile Wrestler

When I turned 6, my father, on my severe insistence, gifted me a toy guitar and after playing around with it  and getting myself photographed with it, my craze for the toy was over much sooner than it had begun. This happens in childhood and I am sure many of us would identify with it. But have you heard of a father gifting his 6 year old son a 12 ft long Python on his birthday. I had never heard anything even close to this. It is rare undoubtedly and so is the life of that 6 year old boy who got a Python to play with in his childhood and by the time this boy reached the age of 9, he was learning the art of wrestling, not with men but with ferocious crocodiles.

This is the story of Steve Irwin, the Australian environmentalist, conservationist, zookeeper, wildlife expert and a world famous TV personality for his series ‘ The Crocodile Hunter ‘. Dressed in his trademark Olive Green Khakhi Shirt and Shorts, Irwin mesmerised viewers all over the world  with his dare devilry in chasing crocodiles across the globe  for over a decade from 1996 to 2006. The series was a massive hit and made Irwin a Star. Wildlife and in particular reptiles were his passion all his life. This keen interest was instilled in him by his father Bob who himself was a wildlife and crocodile lover and had set up a Zoo, 250 kms from Brisbane, which was Irwin’s initial training ground.

Irwin’s approach to his subject was different. He romanticised the crocodiles and other reptiles, thus making a statement that these  species were required to co-exist rather than shunned for fear and danger. Alongwith this romanticism was a spice of adventure which used to be an edge of the seat affair. Irwin gained massive popularity and in 2004 was nominated for the Australian of the Year Award, which he lost to Steve Waugh, the famous cricketer. However the same year he was conferred the Queensland’s Australian of the Year Award. Irwin’s work inspired several others to trudge his path and there were several shows which went on air post his exit.

There is a lot to Irwin’s life which we can imbibe and when I study him, I find four factors which differentiated him from the rest. 1. He displayed tremendous conviction in what he was doing.,2. This conviction was borne out of his passion for wildlife, which never ebbed, even though there were dangers involved.,3.  This passion and conviction gave rise to his supreme confidence with which he went about doing his work., 4.The confidence eventually leading to his absolutely fearless endeavours.  These are life lessons.

So if you are passionate about something, keep the fire burning. This fire will help your conviction, fuel your confidence and eventually make you brave enough to pursue your dreams. Steve Irwin’s life is an inspiration for all of us.  In 2006 while filming a documentary on Australia’s Great Barrier Reef, Irwin’s chest was pierced by a short-tail stingray. The accident proved fatal. Irwin died at the age of 44 leaving the world stunned by the news. It was a shock to me too as I had been an avid viewer of his series. Irwin lived by his passion and died by it.

That humble, disarming smile of Irwin, his bravado and steely confidence will always be remembered. Though Irwin won several awards and was a highly decorated personality, he  always wanted to be remembered as a good father to his two children, rather than anything else. 22nd February was Irwin’s birthday and therefore this blog of mine is a tribute to one of the most inspiring personalities of recent times who championed the cause of wildlife and the environment.

RIP Stephen Robert Irwin .