IBERIA PARISH — At 67 years old, Joe Dressel still makes time for the gym, but he says lifting weights has never been about building muscle. Instead, it's about preserving the life he's built and encouraging others to keep moving forward.
Dressel, a former New Iberia Police detective, said his relationship with fitness was tested more than 30 years ago when Hurricane Andrew destroyed the gym where he worked out.
"I literally, at 33 years old, thought that I was going to die," Dressel said.
Without the routine that had become part of his daily life, Dressel said his physical and mental health quickly began to decline.
"I had no gym to go to and within 30 or 60 days, I literally thought I was dying. In a matter of about three or four months I lost literally 30 pounds, did every conceivable test imaginable... and they could not determine what the problem was," Dressel explained.
It was a conversation with his doctor that changed the course of his life.
"He said, 'Joe, you don't need a gym to work out.' You know, that afternoon, my wife will verify, I threw on some running shorts… I started running down the road," Dressel said.
That decision became the foundation of a lifestyle that carried him through decades in law enforcement. "It is brotherhood. I have worked with some of the best people I think God has ever made," Dressel shared.
Although he loved serving his community, Dressel said the demands of the job eventually caught up with him,"I realized that the stress and anxiety of being a detective had taken its toll on me," Dressel said.
About 20 years ago, Dressel was diagnosed with depression and anxiety. He said he made the decision that those diagnoses would not define his life.
"It's stress, and until you beat it, until you go fight it, it's gonna beat you, it's gonna beat you and I was not gonna let that happen," Dressel said.
Today, Dressel carries a reminder with him every time he works out — a small symbol of the people who motivate him to keep going.
"I have four grandkids. All their names are on my hat. I got this hat for my birthday, and my daughter gave it to me, and all four of my grandkids' names are on it. So that's why I wore it today and, um, anyway, I'm, I'm proud of them, and I do it for them. Because the longer I do this, I figure the longer I'm gonna be around," Dressel said.
Now, Dressel hopes sharing his story will encourage others facing similar struggles to take the first step toward improving their own health, no matter their age.
"There's always hope. Anxiety makes it feel like there's none; depression makes it feel like there's none. It's never too late, you know, make an effort, make an effort, get out of that chair, you know, get away from that television screen and drive to the gym," Dressel said.
