Chepalov, a coach of the Russian junior national team, reportedly sold off all of his assets to help finance his daughter's career.

Additionally, Chepalova has won the women's 30 km at the Holmenkollen ski festival three times (1999, 2004, and 2006), joining fellow Russian cross-country skier Larisa Lazutina as the only three-time winners of the event.

She tested positive for Erythropoietin (EPO) during an in-competition doping control on 3 January 2009 in Val di Fiemme, Italy.

[1][2][3] Immediately after the EPO test results went public her father and coach Anatoly Chepalov officially announced her retirement.

On 29 November 2009, Chepalova addressed IOC President Jacques Rogge where she came down hard on the World Anti-Doping Agency, accusing the organisation of being biased and unscrupulous in general, of unlawful ruling of her case in particular, and of "severing the career" of many good athletes but all the efforts to restore her good name were of no avail.