They are the only Otago athletes named in the New Zealand team for the world junior track and field championships in Barcelona.
Greene will be competing at her second world junior track and field championships. She reached the final in Canada two years ago and learnt valuable lessons.
"In Europe, they race in a different way and finish a lot faster," she said. "I will concentrate on tactics and position myself well in the race."
She does not intend to lead from the front as she does in New Zealand.
"I will sit and put a good race plan together." Greene will race the 1500m and the 3000m in Barcelona.
Her goal is a top-eight finish and a personal-best time in the 3000m, and to make the final again in the 1500m.
Greene had glandular fever during summer and her last serious race was in December, when she won the New Zealand secondary schools 1500m and 3000m double.
She has recovered and proved her fitness when she ran the fastest women's time at the Barnes cross-country last Sunday.
Greene has a best 1500m time of 4min 18sec but her coach, Jim Baird, believes she could run 4min 14sec in Barcelona.
The gold medal is expected to be won in 4min 10sec and if Greene can run the time her coach predicts, she has a chance of reaching the podium.
Greene is better prepared for the long trip to Europe this year and will wear compression gear on the plane and make sure she drinks enough water. She is also aware of the need to get over jet lag before she starts hard training in Europe.
The New Zealand team will travel to Frankfurt, Germany on two flights.
On the first flight, to Singapore, Greene will swot for her university exam in food sciences, which she will sit in Germany.
"One the second flight, to Frankfurt, I will try to sleep as much as possible," she said. It is the first time Whyte has travelled to a major athletics event overseas.
He has made rapid progress over the last 12 months and that made him realise that competing at the world championships was a realistic goal.
He has been sitting his university commerce exams and has not had time to get nervous.
Whyte's confidence was buoyed when he ran a 400m time trial in 47.1sec at the Caledonian Ground last week.
His best time is the 46.90sec he ran when winning the New Zealand secondary schools title in December. His goal in Barcelona is 46.50sec, a time that would break the Otago senior men's record and get him into the final.
He has prepared for the long 36-hour trip to Frankfurt.
"I have been to the doctor and got sleeping pills and was told what I must do to adjust to the long flight," Whyte said.
He is training with Brent Ward's sprint squad and doing more short runs than in the past.
"I'm doing more 150s and 200s on the track, rather than the 300m and 400m I used to do."
Otago fliers
Fact file
Rebekah Greene
Age: 18.
Occupation: Otago University food sciences student.
Best times: 400m, 58.4sec; 800m, 2min 07sec; 1500m, 4min 18sec; 3000m, 9min 21sec.
Events at world junior championships in Barcelona: 1500m, 3000m.
Andrew Whyte
Age: 18.
Occupation: Otago University commerce student.
Best times: 400m, 46.90sec.
Event at world junior championships: 400m.
