Bindi Irwin is set to turn 19 on Monday, July 24, and her boyfriend, Chandler Powell, got in early with a beautiful birthday tribute to the wildlife conservationist.
“Happy Birthday for tomorrow to the kindest, strongest, most beautiful soul I have ever met,” he captioned a sweet Instagram pic of them snuggling on the beach. “We have been together for years now and loving you will always be the greatest blessing. Every day I aspire to be more like you in the way you work tirelessly for what you believe in and the people you love most, all while carrying the most gorgeous smile.”
“After all the adventures we have experienced together, I can only imagine what the years to come will hold,” the 20-year-old continued. “You make me smile bigger than I ever knew was possible and give me the most amazing memories that I will carry with me forever. I love you. Happy birthday sweetheart.”
Irwin, the daughter of late Crocodile Hunter star Steve Irwin, and Powell, a professional wakeboarder, began dating in November 2013 after meeting at Irwin’s family zoo in Australia. They maintain a long-distance relationship as the former Dancing With the Stars winner lives in Australia and Powell is a student at the University of Central Florida.
The teen, who said she knew Powell was “the one” the first time she saw him wearing his khaki Australia Zoo uniform, told Entertainment Tonight last year, “I’m really blessed and grateful to have him in my life.”