TERRI IRWIN

Few celebrities touch as many people as Steve Irwin did. He was loved by people from all walks of life and his vast efforts at conservation continue to make a difference all over the globe. Steve and Terri's story is not just one of taking a noble cause to a new height, but is also a fairytale love affair. When Terri, an American tourist in Australia, first laid eyes on Steve, she saw a real-life action hero. She was, however, disappointed to hear that his heart belonged to another. Steve then offered to introduce her to his girlfriend, whistled and presented his best girl: a Staffordshire bull terrier called Sui. Later, Steve took Terri on a unique first date - a canoe ride through the swamps at night. She describes how Steve climbed out of the boat into the crocodile-filled water and how she knew she was with the bravest man she'd ever met. Steve and Terri married in June 1992 and the footage of their crocodile-trapping honeymoon became the first episode of The Crocodile Hunter. WIth the opening of the Australia Zoo, the couple brought conservation to the people and became ambassadors for the native wildlife.Together, Steve and Terri changed the perception of conservation and sparked global interest in the animals of the Australian bush. Terri's book chronicles this work with their children Bindi and Bob and is her tribute to keeping Steve's memory and mission alive.