Terri Irwin knows that what she had with her late husband Steve Irwin was incredibly special.
That’s why in the 12 years since his death, she hasn’t dated anyone else.
“I think it’s wonderful when people who have lost someone find love again, but I’m not personally looking, and I haven’t been on a date in 27 years,” the 54-year-old told People magazine in 2018.
“In fact, it’s been so long, I’ve had a couple of lovely women ask me out because they figured that’s the case. But I’m content. I have two beautiful kids, a really full plate.
“I’ve already had my happily ever after.”
But that happily ever after would not have happened without the split-second decision that began their love story’s “once upon a time”.
The Oregon native described her and crocodile hunter’s chance meeting back in 1991 when she appeared on comedian Anh Do’s Brush With Fame in July last year.
Terri was 27 years old at the time and her friends were travelling to the Great Barrier Reef on a holiday when they passed this “tiny” wildlife park.
“My friend said to me ‘do you want to go in?'” the mum-of-two recalled.
At first, Terri, whose day job was helping rehabilitate cougars and working as a veterinarian technician, was going to say no. But something made her change her mind.
“I said, ‘It looks kind of crummy. There’ll probably be just a couple of snakes in jars and I’ll be depressed.’ And then I went, ‘No! I’ll go in. Let’s just go in.'”
