Plush Musts: Mascot-mad collector shows off Olympic memorabilia

Oh, what the heck, this Sioux City collector probably always has the inside scoop on these sure-to-be-scooped-up stuffed toys.

"I know they will be releasing a polar bear and a snow leopard soon," Paterni explained. "I'll get 'em as soon as they're available."

Indeed, the Irving Elementary School paraeducator has a houseful of hard-to-find collectibles acquired over the past two decades.

Among the more memorable members of Paterni's mascot menagerie are Sam the bald eagle from the 1984 Los Angeles Summer Olympics; Vucko the wolf from the 1984 Sarajevo Winter Olympics; and Hidi and Howdy, twin polar bears, from the 1988 Calgary Winter Olympics.

In Paterni's opinion, the most valuable plush is Misha, the bear cub mascot from the 1980 Summer Olympic Games, held in Moscow.

"You may remember that was the Olympics that the United States boycotted because of the Soviet invasion into Afghanistan," Paterni said, adjusting the Olympic rings Misha uses as a belt. "That's the reason this bear is so highly sought."

Which isn't to say that Paterni would ever sell any of her fluffy souvenirs.

"Nope, these will be passed down to my family," the mother of four, stepmom of one and grandmother of seven said without hesitation. "They may not know what to do with 'em, but my family will get custody of my collectibles."

You see, Paterni is a true Olympic fanatic.

In addition to mascots, she collects Olympic-endorsed pins ("They're an inexpensive way to start one's collections"), fanny packs and various odds and ends from the Games, which she buys online or from various home shopping channels.

"I love cheering on our athletes," Paterni said. "They make me proud to be an American."

Although she likes the Summer Games, Paterni has a strong preference for the Winter Olympics.

"I love the bobsledders because they're always fun and the ice skaters because they're so beautiful," she said, pointing to Peggy Fleming, Kristi Yamaguchi and Brian Boitano as her all-time figure skating faves.

A native Sioux Cityan, Paterni remembered a childhood spent skating with her dad at the former Gilman Park ice skating rink.

"Even then, I was more of a spectator than an athlete," she said. "There's just something magical about watching people excel at their sport."

Though she's never been to the Olympics, Paterni visited the venues for the 1988 Calgary Winter Games a few years after they were held. She has also held the Olympic torch in Wavery, Iowa, as it made its trek to the Atlanta summer games.

"Now, that was a lot of fun," she said looking at a photo in a frame. "To be able to hold the actual Olympic torch was a true highlight for me."

So, what does Paterni do to whet her appetite between games? She has tons of tapes from several of the Olympic opening and closing ceremonies.

"I don't watch 'em often but I do watch 'em on occasion," she said. "Yeah, they help to get me in the mood for the games."

As Paterni looked over her vast collection of Olympic memorabilia, she couldn't help but laugh.

"I wouldn't say I was obsessed over the Olympics but I do admit to having a once-every-four-year addiction to the games," she said, jokingly.

As she straightened the cowboy hats attached to twin bears, Hidi and Howdy, (from the 1988 Calgary games), Paterni smiled.

"I'm just grateful there's no 12-step program for Olympic addiction because I love my collectibles too much," she said.