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Who is Anthony Walker? Canadian comedian heads to Ukraine to fight against Russia

When Walker tried to enlist in the Canadian military in 2018, he was barred from doing so because he suffers from a low blood platelet count

A Canadian comedian who has never fought a war is on his way to Ukraine to fight against Russia. When Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy urged people around the globe to join them in their fight against Russia, Anthony Walker was quick to pack his bags and leave. Walker has no connection with Ukraine. 

In a Twitter post, Walker wrote, "2 years ago I was denied entry to the Canadian Forces due to a rare blood disorder (I bleed too much). Now, I’m voluntarily headed to Ukraine to do what my government won’t. F*** Russia. #StandWithUkraine".

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Who is Anthony Walker?

Walker, 29, is a Canadian comedian and father of three children aged 2, 5, and 7. His wife and kids are safe at home in a suburb an hour from Toronto. Walker graduated from high school and worked in construction and carpentry for a few years, The Daily Beast reported. When he tried to enlist in the Canadian military in 2018, he was barred from doing so because he suffers from a low blood platelet count. He then ended up training to be an emergency medical responder. Most of the content he posts on Twitter are satirical videos mocking Trump supporters, Donald Trump Jr, the Proud Boys, and more.

Walker is now planning to meet up with other Canadian volunteer fighters and head to Kyiv to join the battle. Walker spoke to As It Happens host Carol Off about his decision, saying, "Right now, I'm acting just as a medic, but the further we get into Ukraine, the more of a combat role I'll take on. So eventually it'll just be straight-up combat medic. So, like, half shooting people and half healing people."

"I came with my own body armour. I don't know if they're giving out body armour … but I know weapons won't be a problem," he said. "I have weapons experience. No combat experience. And I have medical training too."

"When my wife and I were talking about it, what it came down to for me was we were looking at everything that was going on and I said, 'If it was Canada, we'd want someone to help us'," Walker said. "I feel like if Russia were to take Ukraine they wouldn't stop there. They'd try and keep going. And really, I mean, I could only see that evolving into a nuclear war. And I just don't believe that my family or anyone I know would survive World War III. So if I can stop that in any way in the slightest bit, then it makes sense to me." Walker has been posting updates about his journey on Twitter, including pictures of the current situation at the Poland/Ukraine border.

Posting a picture of a road jammed with vehicles, he wrote, "Holy sh**, so many people want to help Ukraine that there’s a traffic jam going INTO the country. People are biking in. This is so amazing". "Just left Rzeszow. Made contact with a medical student from Ukraine and she’ll help me get medical supplies to the border," he wrote in another post.

"If I were to die saving one person, you know, that's a wash. If I die saving two people, that's a win, because two is greater than one. My life shouldn't be worth more than two other people just because it's my life," he added on As It Happens.