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Sometimes we put ourselves in stressful situations. At other times, stress strikes without warning. Imagine being 21-year-old Ben Carpenter, who experienced the world’s wildest and fastest wheelchair ride. As he crossed a street, the light changed and a semitruck started moving into the intersection. When they bumped, Ben’s wheelchair handles got stuck in the truck’s grille. The driver, who hadn’t seen Ben and couldn’t hear his cries for help, took off down the highway, pushing the wheelchair at 50 miles per hour until reaching his destination two miles away. “It was very scary,” said Ben, who has muscular dystrophy.

This module starts by taking a close look at stress and how it affects our health and well-being. Let’s begin with some basic terms.