Bindi & Chandler It’s fate!
How Bindi’s boyfriend made his childhood dream come true
Beaming at the camera and holding a copy of Steve Irwin’s Crocodile Hunter, six-year-old Chandler Powell never thought he’d end up falling in love with the daughter of his Australian hero just over a decade later! Last week in a heartwarming Instagram post, Bindi, 19, revealed her American boyfriend’s early infatuation with the Irwin family started 12 years before
he first travelled to Australia Zoo to meet the wildlife warriors in person.
“My sunshine with his copy of The Crocodile Hunter
Collision Course movie. Blessed to share my life with someone who’s just as passionate about wildlife and conservation as we are. ‘[Bindi] I don’t know what I did to deserve you’ Since he was so young!” Bindi captioned the cute snap of Chandler when he was a little boy.
LOVE AT FIRST SIGHT
Fast forward 12 years to 2014 and Chandler visited the Irwin family zoo with his parents. It was a case of love at first sight – and he went on to ask Bindi’s mum Terri if he could write to her only daughter. Romance blossomed and since then, the pair’s relationship has gone from strength to strength, with Chandler, 21, not only relocating Down Under to move in with Bindi, but their loved-up displays have even sparked rumours of an impending engagement.
STEVE’S BIGGEST FAN
Chandler’s grandfather John Dicenzo has even spoken about the young man’s lifelong admiration for the Irwins.
“Chandler used to watch Steve Irwin’s TV show all the time as a kid,” John told Woman’s Day. “It’s why people who know him – and his love of animals – had their minds blown when they saw photos of him with Bindi when they got together.
“Chandler used to speak about Steve all the time. It inspired him to have a wildlife party for all the kids in the neighbourhood, too.”
John also admitted Chandler was heartbroken when Steve tragically died in 2006 aged just 44, after being stabbed in the heart by a stingray.
“We all know how much he admired Steve. He was devastated,” added John.
But luckily for Chandler, he has what most people don’t – the connection to Steve’s beautiful daughter Bindi.
“The most amazing part of my life is sharing it with my love @bindisueirwin,” he gushed on Valentine’s Day. “Every day spent with you is the greatest blessing. You bring so much light and happiness into this world and I don’t know what I did to deserve you. I love you.”