Abstract Some jobs have a higher level of challenges and adversities. Individuals pursuing these jobs learn how to react to challenges and build up resilience. Within this study, we concentrated on the potential career path of top athletes as entrepreneurs, who are both expected to have a higher level of resilience than non-athletes. The purpose of this research was to examine if resilience is a determining factor on entrepreneurial intention and if the model based on the Theory of Planned Behavior (TPB) can be applied in general and for specific groups with a high level of resilience. To address the research questions, we collected data from a sample of 195 top athletes and 142 non-athletes. First, the level of resilience and entrepreneurial intention were compared with an analysis of variance (ANOVA). Subsequently, the structural equation model tested the influence of resilience on entrepreneurial intention, mediated by the TPB, first for the whole sample and then as a multigroup comparison for both groups. Resilience had an indirect influence on entrepreneurial intention, mediated by the explaining factors of the TPB (personal attitude, subjective norm, perceived behavioral control). The multigroup comparison revealed a difference in the influence of perceived behavioral control on entrepreneurial intention between top athletes and non-athletes. Based on these results, this research added further knowledge to the field of entrepreneurial intention by examining the specific role of resilience necessary for careers as top athletes and entrepreneurs. It also contributes by researching the specific group of top athletes compared to non-athletes and extrapolating recommendations in entrepreneurship education for both groups, as creating athletes' awareness of potential overconfidence or implementing resilience training in education for non-athletes.
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