When a Backpacker Becomes a Hostage with Sam Goodwin

What happens when a globe-trotting entrepreneur lands in the wrong place at the wrong time? In this jaw-dropping episode, Scott Groves sits down with Sam Goodwin—a man who set out to visit every country in the world and ended up locked in a Syrian military prison. What unfolds is part spy thriller, part spiritual reckoning. From coaching hockey in North Korea to surviving 62 days in solitary confinement, Sam shares the wildest travel story you’ve never heard. The conversation dives into the power of faith under pressure, navigating extreme uncertainty, and why gratitude may be your most rebellious act. If you're a high-achiever hungry for hard-won wisdom, this one hits differently.Chapters:00:00:00 – Welcome to the Edge: Meet Sam Goodwin00:00:44 – 193 Countries, One Relentless Mission00:01:08 – How a Trip to Syria Turned Into a Nightmare00:02:00 – Wild Stories from the Edge of the Map00:07:26 – How He Traveled the World on Spare Change00:10:59 – The Risk Factor: When Travel Gets Real00:17:23 – Black SUVs, Blindfolds, and Bashar al-Assad00:23:08 – Locked in a Dungeon: How He Stayed Sane00:31:47 – Faith in the Dark: Prayers Behind Bars00:32:34 – (Sponsor Break – Mortgage + Coaching)00:33:42 – 30 Days of Silence and Boiled Potatoes00:35:27 – Out of the Cell, Into the Chaos00:36:00 – Finding Brotherhood in a Syrian Prison00:40:30 – The Phone Call That Set Him Free00:42:21 – FBI, CIA, and a Family on the Brink00:45:29 – Two Stephs, One Shot at Freedom00:48:09 – What Captivity Taught Him About Life00:55:42 – He Wasn’t Done Yet: The Final 12 Countries00:58:10 – What’s Next for Sam Goodwin?Links and Resources:Website: https://www.samrgoodwin.com/Sam on LinkedIn------------This podcast is paid for and brought to you by.... by me, Scott Groves :-) Because I think these kind of long form conversations are valuable, I pay for 100% of the production of this show out of my pocket. This channel is FAR from monetization and because of the subject matter, may never be monetized. I am a Mortgage Loan Officer & Loan Officer Coach in real life. It's the money that I earn, from helping home-buyers and home-owners obtain home-loans, that pays for this show. If you, your friends, or your family are looking for a home loan from an honest Loan Officer, please contact me at [email protected] or find all my links to connect HERE:⁠ ⁠www.LinkTr.ee/ScottLGroves⁠⁠I can do the loan for you (our team is licensed in 8 states) - OR - I can refer you to an amazing loan officer in the state where you're searching. ON WITH THE SHOW!!!New Full Episodes are released every THURSDAY at 10:00am and clips are released frequently throughout the week. SO MAKE SURE YOU SUBSCRIBE!!! -------------Thank you for checking out the Podcast. We're building our community AS WE SPEAK and would love it if you checked us out in one of our communities:On The Edge Podcast Community & Facebook Group on Facebook:⁠ ⁠https://www.facebook.com/groups/ontheedgepodcast/⁠⁠On The Edge Podcast Page on Facebook:⁠ ⁠https://www.facebook.com/MeetScottGroves⁠⁠On The Edge Podcast on Locals:⁠ ⁠https://reddotbluestate.locals.com/⁠⁠Instagram:⁠ ⁠www.Instagram.com/ScottLGroves⁠⁠------------⁠⁠www.OnTheEdgePodcast.com⁠⁠-----------Do YOU or SOMEBODY YOU KNOW want to be featured in the podcast? Questions, inquiries, booking a show? Any topics or people you'd like us to cover?Send us an email: ⁠[email protected]⁠-----------Spread the word and help us out! It doesn't cost a thing to hit that Like Button, Subscribe, and turn on the notification bell. Comments are appreciated and will be responded to! Doing any of these things tells the YouTube Algorithm that you like what you see and helps others find us as well!----------