Ep. 52: Perry Steed, Operation: Purpose

Our guest on Episode 52 of the Rider Magazine Insider Podcast is former Army paratrooper Perry Steed. He was interviewed by Rider’s associate editor, Paul Dail, who wrote a feature about Steed titled “Ride for Light” for the October 2022 issue of Rider. On April 24, 2012, Steed’s good friend, Sgt. Kristopher Cool, took his own life. In May of last year, Steed departed North Carolina on his BMW R 1200 GS on a 48-state trip covering more than 15,000 miles to pick up Cool’s ashes and take them to Fort Bragg to spread on Sicily Drop Zone as a “rally cry for support” for the epidemic of veteran suicide. In this episode, Steed talks about how he got into motorcycles, his “Ride for Light” mission, and the nonprofit he created to support fellow veterans, Operation: Purpose. We owe a debt of gratitude to all veterans for their service, and we owe it to them to support veteran causes.

If you or someone you know is in danger because of suicidal thoughts or actions, seek help immediately, either through 911 or nationwide suicide hotlines, 1-800-SUICIDE and 1-800-273-TALK, which have counselors available 24/7.

LINKS: OperationPurpose.net, “Riding for Light” feature about Perry Steed