While training together in January 1996, she suffered a serious injury, leaving her partly paralyzed and unable to speak.
She recovered rapidly and began competing again in November 1996 with new partner, Anton Sikharulidze.
Within two years of the accident, Berezhnaya and Sikharulidze had established themselves as one of the best pair teams in the world.
During their competitive career, they were coached by Tamara Moskvina at the Yubileyny Sports Palace in Saint Petersburg, Russia, and the Ice House in Hackensack, New Jersey.