Somewhere on the Island of Milos, one of the thousands of Greek islands approximately half way between Piraeus and Crete, Steve Raider flies through the air from the rocks high above into the cool water of the Mediterranean Sea.
Flying is a huge part of Steve's life. Equally important to Steve is fighting. Now while many of us must choose fight or flight, Steve has chosen to combine them both into every aspect of his life.
His world is made up of Taekwondo, kickboxing, freestyle fighting free running and free climbing and Parkour. Parkour is the physical discipline of training to overcome any obstacle within one's path by adapting one's movements to the environment.
Steve has studied taekwondo for 14 years , kickboxing for 3 years , and free style fight for 2 years.
'What attracts me to martial arts is something mystical ... like a hidden power that floats in the air .. the power . the speed . the moves . the anger and ferocity'. .
Adapting is just what Steve has done. Steve says that he has always struggled with confidence. As a child he was bullied in school but even when pushed never wanted to physically hurt another. His mission was to trudge on pretending not to care what others were saying.
Steve did fight back, but not with his fists, but with his talent. Steve channeled his pain through his art work to create heroes who did fight, not to harm but to protect.
Steve has dreams of being an actor, a very specific actor though. Like the themes of his art, Steve wants to be a hero, and action star. Steve wants to create movies not just full of action, but with positive messages. Steve knows based on the sports he plays, that fighting can have a positive purpose and not just used to harm another.
Steve has taken acting lessons in his hometown and one day hopes to join the ranks of Tom Cruise, Jean-Claude Van Damme, Liam Neeson, Jason Statham and Bruce Lee and wants to use his years of martial arts training to do his own stunts.
22 year old Greek/Canadian Steve Raider may not feel he has the confidence that he needs, but he is an inspiration none the less. Like the heroes he dreams about and the heroes he draws, Steve has the body and face of a mythic hero and the will and determination and heart of a champion. Using his past to direct his future, Steve is on his way to reaching all of his goals and dreams.
2 shots of Steve below by Nick Alexiou of ctn studios.
Steve Raider:
Stats:
Height: 5' 9"
Weight: 173 lbs
Chest: 27"
Waist: 31"
Shoe: 12
Hair color: Black
Hair length: Medium
Eye color: Brown
Skin color: White
Experience: Experienced
Below: Steve Raider by Valeontis Vagelis. Steve describes his shoot with Valeontis as his favorite shoot. "Valeontis knew exactly what he wanted...I really loved it and tried my best to help fulfill his vision"
