Robert Irwin didn't let an injury slow him down on Dancing With the Stars.
Before taking his final spin on the dance floor with pro partner Witney Carson, the 21-year-old shared how he had injured his rib while practicing his quickstep routine to Jet's "Are You Gonna Be My Girl?" ahead of the ABC dance competition's season 34 finale. (Click here to find out who won.)
"I've been dealing with rib pain because the intercostal muscles of the ribs are under a lot of tension." he said in a video package during the Nov. 25 episode, explaining how the dance required a lot of control of that part of his body."It's been getting worse progressively."
Still, the pair delivered a stunning performance, with the judge Derek Hough—who chose the dance for the duo—calling Robert the "quickstep king."
"It was crisp and clean," he raved. "The frame was strong. Your movement across that floor was fantastic."
But before their big dance, Robert was certainly feeling the toll of his injury. As Witney shared in a Nov. 24 TikTok video, "We’re kind of falling apart right now."
“Robert’s ribs have been killing him," the 32-year-old continued, adding that she did "have to change some things" in their routine to accommodate Robert's injury. "It’s just honestly been the most stressful part because this is just getting it all together. It's gonna take some time and we're gonna have to run it a lot."
That's why she and Robert—the son of late wildlife conservationist Steve Irwin and the younger brother of former DWTS champion Bindi Irwin—stayed up to rehearse.
“Last night, we stayed until the studio closed down,” Witney noted. "They had to kick us out at 9 p.m."
And Robert's grateful to have such an understanding partner. On the morning of the finale, he surprised Witney with a bouquet of roses and a sweet handwritten note.
"You have taught me lessons that I'll take with me for the rest of my life," read the Australian's letter, which Witney shared on her Instagram Story. "And while it is coming to an end, you've got me in your corner forever. We Irwins tend to stick around!"
Robert added, "Always remember: When in doubt—send it."
Read on to get to know the rest of the DWTS season 34 cast.
Baron Davis
Partnered with Britt Stewart
Jennifer Affleck
Partnered with Jan Ravnik
Alix Earle
Partnered with Valentin Chmerkovski
Dylan Efron
Partnered with Daniella Karagach
Corey Feldman
Partnered with Jenna Johnson
Elaine Hendrix
Partnered with Alan Bersten
Robert Irwin
Partnered with Witney Carson
Jordan Chiles
Partnered with Ezra Sosa
Scott Hoying
Partnered with Rylee Arnold
Whitney Leavitt
Partnered with Mark Ballas
Hilaria Baldwin
Partnered with Gleb Savchenko
Andy Richter
Partnered with Emma Slater
Danielle Fishel
Partnered with Pasha Pashkov