Wester/Barantsev are married to each other since May 2006. Barantsev is the 2000 and 2001 World Junior Ice Dancing Champion (with Natalia Romaniuta). When their partnership dissolved in 2002, he moved to the USA looking for a partner and eventually teamed up with Wester in early 2003. Wester began her career as a shooter and has won eight national titles in silhouette rifle marksmanship. She began skating as cross-training for shooting, but eventually changed her focus to skating. Coach Anjelika Krylova is the 1998 Olympic silver medalist and two-time World Champion (with Oleg Ovsiannikov, RUS). Coach Pasquale Camerlengo was a National Champion of Italy and competed at the World level.