Cory+woodmen+speech+09


1. My speech topic is Steve Irwin. I'll be talking all about him, from his childhood, to his death. But first a question.  Who really is the Crocodile Hunter? Is he the guy who ran around and wrestled crocs? No. How about the person who had the t.v. show about animals? Try again. Both of those answers are technically right, but if you think either of those answers are completely right then you're wrong. Throughout this speech I will convince you that Steve Irwin was not only a man who touched the lives of animals, but human's lives as well.  2.Steve Irwin was practically meant to be the crocodile hunter. When he was 6 he got a scrub python that was longer than himself! When Steve was 9 he wrestled and captured his 1st croc. At an early age Steve was already doing dangerous stunts. For example, once when he was at school he saw a dangerous snake so he decided to catch it. He chased after it and when he caught it he had found many more! By the end of the day Steve had an entire cooler full of snakes (venomous and live, of course)! Although he got in trouble by his parents and a bus driver, he learned a valuable lesson... Never take home a cooler full of venomous snakes ever again!

3.Steve Irwin got his inspiration from his parents (who were very active conservationalists themselves). In fact, he turned the Beerwah Reptile Park into what's now known as (the very popular) Australia Zoo, because they handed it down to him. Now the zoo has many more animals other than reptiles. It was his father who taught him how to catch crocs, but he dedicated everything he's done to his mom. This proves that without his parents, Steve wouldn't have been the man he was. Some of his inspiration came from the reason he was catching crocs in the first place. That was to save the crocs or the people and animals around the crocodile, **from** the crocodile. But as Thomas Edison said, "1% inspiration, 99% perspiration." What I mean is, Steve Irwin may have had a lot of inspiration, but in order for the inspiration to work, **you** have to work.

4.//The Crocodile Hunter// wasn't just a show for entertainment. It was, however, a show that taught the importance of keeping animals safe. Steve went to many different places in search of many different animals. From his home in Australia, to the cold Arctic, Steve would go around and show animals, then tell information about them. He didn't tell why he did the show, but I think we can all agree that it was to inform us about animals and what we can do to save, or at least help them.

5. Now I will talk about the topic that no one wants to talk about: Irwin's death. Steve Irwin was the type of guy to always stare death in the face. One day, death decided to take him in the form of a stingray. Steve was out filming //Oceans Deadliest// when he decided to get up close and personal with a stingray. The stingray didn't appear to enjoy the attention he was getting. I think you all know what happened next. Now he's gone and all his family, friends, and fans miss him. I know everyone is wondering "How did he touch many lives?" He not only entertained people with his daring stunts, but he educated people with his knowledge of animals and the environment. Without Steve, many animals, including crocodiles, would be dead. No one can now say Steve Irwin isn't a person who has touched many  lives.