Robert Irwin says his mother "picked up the pieces with such grace" after Steve Irwin died.

The Dancing With The Stars contestant, now 21, was just two years old when the Crocodile Hunter icon died aged 44 in 2006 after being pierced in the chest by a stingray, and he has recalled how his mother Terri kept the family together.

He told PEOPLE magazine: "We've been together through thick and thin and really have each other's backs. The biggest guiding light in my life is my mom.

"She is just the bravest, most steadfast, determined human being I've ever met. To me, she is the epitome of a great leader, a great mother, a hero.

"She built this life with my dad, and she had the rug pulled out from under her, but was able to pick up the pieces with such grace and still be there for my sister [Bindi] and me."

Despite not growing up with his father, Robert has learned how Steve "exemplified what it was to truly live".

He said: "He's still part of every day, every conversation. I feel as though I get a little piece of him back in everything I hear about him or each photo I see.

"I have an even greater picture of who he was now that I'm reaching the same milestones he did as a young bloke. I feel closer to him, I really do."

Meanwhile, Robert - who will return to his work as a conservationist once DWTS is over - opened up on how growing up without his dad made him realise how "fragile" life truly is, which continues to inspire him to make bold choices.

He explained: "I think losing someone as important as him at such a young age solidified the idea that life is fragile.

"We don't know what tomorrow holds, so you have to take calculated risks, you have to have fun, enjoy what you're doing, and give everything 100 percent."