They carried plenty of Australia’s hopes at the Paralympics and when it all wrapped up James Turner and Lauren Parker also got to carry the flag at the closing ceremony.

Turner and cyclist/paratriathlete Parker led the way with two golds apiece as NSW public school alumni delivered an 11-medal performance at the Paris Games.

Turner (Forster Public School/ Great Lakes College, Tuncurry Campus) was superb on the track for Australia, snatching gold on the weekend in the T36 100 metre sprint.

Trailing for most of the blue-ribband event, he made up huge ground in the final 20 metres, his victory and Paralympic-equalling record time confirmed in a photo finish.

He also claimed gold in the same division of the 400 metres.

Parker (Caves Beach Public School) also had a stunning Games, and was ably assisted by team helper Dave Robertson, a teacher at Newcastle East Public School.

She won the Women’s PTWC Paratriathlon before showing her extraordinary versatility by backing up with cycling gold in the Women’s Road Race H1-4.

She split both events with a silver in cycling’s Time Trial H1-3 division.

It was fitting that the pair carried the flag for Australia at the closing ceremony in a nod to their outstanding team contributions.

“I was so shocked, because I never would have dreamed that I’d be asked to do something like this. It’s amazing,” Parker told News Corp.

“Not many people have this opportunity, and I’m very lucky to represent Australia and march out there proud with the rest of the Australian Paralympic team. I’m privileged.”

Amanda Reid (Blaxland Public School/Endeavour Sports High School) also shone on the bike, taking out the Women’s Time Trial in the C1-3 class.

A gifted all-round athlete, Reid is a Paralympic Snowboard world champion as well.

There was also boccia success, though in slightly unexpected ways for Jamieson Leeson (Dunedoo Central School) and Dan Michel (Heathcote High School), both played well above their rankings to secure individual silver.

“It has been an amazing couple of weeks for us over here,” Michel told paralympics.com.au

The pair went in as favourites in the doubles competition, but were unlucky to draw world number two South Korea in a quarter-final after their opponents surprisingly dropped a pool game.

The teams had been widely expected to meet in the gold medal match, but the Australian duo went down 4-2 in the earlier-than-expected showdown and slipped out of medal contention.

There was also silver for Dylan Littlehales (Kariong Mountains High School) in men’s Paracanoeing KL3 and Chloe Osborn (Beaumont Public School/Kellyville High School) in the mixed 4x100m Freestyle Relay.

On the track Mali Lovell (Northern Beaches Secondary College) picked up bronze in the women’s 200m T36, as did Reece Langdon (Wollondilly Public School/Goulburn High School) in the men’s 1500m T38. In the pool, Ricky Betar (Westfields Sports High School) finished third in the men’s 200m Individual Medley SM14.

Current Endeavour Sports High School student Telaya Blacksmith gave a glimpse to the future by qualifying for the final of the T20 400m.