(NEXSTAR) - Olympic figure skater Madison Chock has an extensive collection of commemorative pins she has gathered during her career, a tradition she began during the 2014 Winter Games in Sochi. Chock uses the collection as a tool for international diplomacy, trading the small tokens to meet fellow competitors and share personal stories. The collection has become so large that Chock said she had to remove several pins from her person because the weight became too heavy to wear. Chock described the social aspect of the hobby as the primary reason for her interest in the items. "I just love them, I love what they represent," Chock said. "You get to introduce yourself to new athletes and meet people throughout the games and it's just a fun way to bond with the other athletes and share stories." Additionally, she noted that some pins, such as a "polo bear," are collected simply for their aesthetic appeal. Among the most unique items in her possession are custom-made pins featuring her pet dogs, Henry and Stella. Chock explained that these specific pins are rare because they are distributed only by her and her team. "We're the only people you can get them from, so they're a special edition," Chock said. One of these "special edition" pins features her dog, Stella, sticking out her tongue. Chock noted that the detail is a faithful representation of the dog's actual appearance. "That is her real tongue because she has no teeth," Chock said. "So her tongue just sticks out." While Chock maintains a large personal collection, she continues to seek out new and interesting designs from other participants. She expressed a specific interest in finding a "suit pin" she had not yet seen. During the games, she carries her collection in her bag and wears a portion of it on her clothing. Chock said she intends to continue her search for new items throughout the remainder of the current games. All facts in this report were gathered by journalists employed by Nexstar. Artificial intelligence tools were used to reformat from a broadcast script into a news article for our website. This report was edited and fact-checked by Nexstar staff before being published