Kochi: In the quiet villages of Kerala, the term "Maram Keri" (tree climber) was never a compliment. It was a barbed social slur, designed to shame any woman who dared to step outside her prescribed domestic circle. But for Suni Lee, a 55-year-old woman from Palayamkunnu in Varkala, the threat wasn't just a label, it was a literal promise of violence.

When Suni first picked up a coconut climbing machine in 2011 at the age of 40, her own uncles threatened to "break her legs" to keep her grounded. They saw her ambition as a stain on the family honour. They wanted her anchored to the floor; Suni, however, already had her sights on the sky.

Today, those threats have withered in the shadow of her success. As the recipient of the 2025 Sthree Shakthi Award from the State Women's Commission, Suni has proven that sheer will is more powerful than any social stigma. She didn't just climb a tree; she scaled a wall of prejudice that had stood for generations, breaking a male monopoly and inspiring thousands of women to follow her lead to make coconut tree climbing a stable profession.

Suni's journey began in 2010 out of pure, frustrating necessity. Then living in Mumbai where her husband, Lee, worked as a driver for a shipping company, the family returned to Varkala for a temple festival.

"I wanted to offer a few tender coconuts to the deity but couldn't find a single person to harvest them. After much effort, I found a climber, but he left after one tree, citing various excuses. I was sad, and at that moment, I instinctively took a vow: 'For next year's festival, I will climb this tree, pluck the coconuts myself, and offer them to the gods,'" Suni recalled while speaking to Onmanorama.

While others took it as a joke, Suni was very serious. She secretly enrolled as the only woman in the Coconut Development Board's (CDB) inaugural training batch of 30. While her family thought she was attending "Ayurvedic treatments" for back pain, she was actually mastering the art of the ascent.

She traded the safety of the kitchen for the adrenaline of the canopy, eventually mastering a 50-foot vertical climb in under 60 seconds. When the secret finally came out, the backlash from the family was fierce, but Suni didn't flinch. She turned her husband from a sceptic into her most loyal teammate.

"It was my husband's support that made it possible. He asked me to do it if I really wanted it. He gave me the courage to ignore criticism. He also joined the course with me. I completed the training in no time and became a professional," she said.

Suni's mantle now holds over 400 awards collected over 15 years, ranging from local panchayat citations to national recognitions. Today, she is a certified 'Master Trainer' for the CDB, commanding a following that spans Indian states and international borders.

To date, she has trained approximately 5,000 individuals in countries including Malaysia, Singapore, Indonesia, Jamaica etc.

Beyond the trees, Suni is a polymath of physical skill. She operates heavy machinery like bulldozers and tractors, is trained in Karate, serves as a women's safety instructor, and is a member of the Rapid Response Team in Varkala.

As the President of a 150-member Coconut Producer Society (CPS), she leads the production of high-quality seedlings and value-added products. Her home is a model of integrated farming, featuring cattle, poultry, fisheries, and medicinal plants. She and Lee even recently starred in a short film titled 'Calling Bell'.

Reflecting on her journey, Suni remains unapologetic about the title once used to mock her. "My husband and I have visited almost all parts of India and several other countries to train people. All that because I literally became what people scornfully called me -'Maram Keri.' When I climb an 80-ft coconut tree, I am scaling not just the heights but proving those who tried to keep me on the ground wrong," Suni said.