"It started to kick in a bit [last] week, probably on the ride home. You start to think 'I really did stand on the podium at the world champs'.
"It gives me a massive amount of confidence. It is just about trying to move up the podium now."
The ITU Cross Triathlon World Championships is a big off-road triathlon race featuring a swim, mountain bike and trail run.
Despite claiming the bronze medal, Osborne said not everything went to plan during the lead-up to the race.
He had his running shoes stolen during the week of the event and also had his bike go missing at the airport. Fortunately, he got his bike back a few days before the event and managed to put in a fine performance to claim third.
Osborne only lined up in four off-road triathlon races this year, mainly in Xterra events, and podiumed in all four events.
He said he'd love to attend the Xterra World Championships in Hawaii next month to cap off his season but was cash-strapped following a big European summer. Xterra is the biggest off-road triathlon brand in the world, holding its feature event in Hawaii each year.
"I'd love to be there. I'd love to try and take those boys on again, I think they are beatable," Osborne said.
"If I get some support then maybe [I'll be able to go], or else I will be here in Rotorua for quite a while, maybe six months." Osborne said his long-term goal was to attend the Olympics as a road triathlete and there was still one more chance to qualify for Rio next year.
He said if he wins the Oceania champs in Gisborne in March, he will earn New Zealand a third men's spot for the Rio Olympics.
"Next year is obviously an Olympic year and New Zealand only has two male spots at the moment.
"For us to get the third one it will be tough, but either myself or another Kiwi would need to win Oceanias," he said.
"So that is the goal and that is held in March in Gisborne."
Osborne said if he won he would give himself a great chance of going to Rio.
Osborne is currently ranked 165th in the world for elite road triathlon, on the ITU points list, and is the fourth-highest ranked Kiwi male behind Ryan Sissons (21st), Tony Dodds (24th) and Sam Ward (125th).
Osborne said apart from his podium at the ITU Cross Triathlon World Championships, another highlight this year was racing in Germany in the Bundesliga triathlon series. He finished eighth overall in the series alongside some of the top triathletes in the world.
Osborne said if he did not attend the Xterra World Championships in Hawaii, he would give his body a rest before building up to Oceania in March.
If you would like to help Osborne get to Hawaii for the Xterra World Championships, you can email him at sam.osborne@live.com.
